One Last Dance
by sunflower13
Summary: Zuko takes a girl hostage to get to escape a sticky situation. But when she sticks around, what will change?
1. Prologue

Hey ATLA fans! So I wanted to write this since I hate Mai with the fiery passion of a thousand exploding supernovas. Seriously. The only thing I like about her is her fighting skills. (Edit: I have grown as a fan, and I hover between indifference towards and liking Mai). And I think I can create a much better character for Zuko. Because Zuko is hot, and deserves a good girlfriend.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any character you recognized. I wish I owned Zuko. Mmm, that boy (cookies to anyone who can tell me what show that's from).

You are many things in life. Child, sibling, friend, parent…the list goes on forever. I have my own list. Daughter, illegitimate, special, orphan, friend, freak, warrior. One of my favorites is Goldie. But this isn't about those names, although they will show up. This is about how I got to add wife to the list.

So this is just a short prologue. I'll put up the first actual chapter when I get at least one review. Even if that review is "Good!" or "Update soon!" or even "I hate this, you're a terrible writer!" I'll update it. So it probably won't be long seeing as how there are MORE THAN THIRTY-TWO THOUSAND ATLA STORIES! Can you believe that? It's crazy! And just because that one review has already happened doesn't mean you can't review. The more, the merrier!


	2. Surprise Attacks

**Hey! So I'd like to give a shout out to the guest reviewer Magicsdawntrillogy for being the first reviewer, and the reason that this chapter is being posted. And FYI, in case you miss whose POV it's in, my OC's name is Aiko.**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters. I just sell the cabbage man new cabbages.**

**Aiko's POV**

I stood with Suki and the others in the warriors' house. It wasn't actually a house; we just used it for training. But to me, it was home. I had lived here in the attic ever since I was nine, when my mom died. I stood at the front of the group next to Suki, leading everyone through a more advanced drill. After Suki, I was the best warrior on Kyoshi. I guess I have my dad to thank for that. Not only was Suki my leader, she was my best friend, even though she was a year younger than me. We shared everything, from fighting tips to make-up to crushes. Another thing we shared was that we were the only two master warriors on Kyoshi. Just then, a panting Oyaji ran into the room. Oyaji was Kyoshi Island's leader, but he was also our master. He told us who and when to fight. Sort of like a samurai and his _shinobi_. However, Oyaji was always careful to listen to Suki's opinions since she had the most hands-on experience.

"Warriors! There are intruders on the beach!" Oyaji said in a rush. We all immediately stood at attention and looked to Suki for directions.

"Alright girls! We'll take a surprise approach. We want them alive for questioning. Try not to hurt them, but don't be afraid to use force if they fight back," Suki said. As soon as she finished she ran out of the house, with me hot on her tail, and the rest of the girls quickly following. We slowed as we reached the beach, using the trees as a screen. Silently, Suki pointed to herself, me, Lian, and Hua; then pointed upwards to the trees. Without making a sound, we scaled the trees and observed the intruders. There was a boy that looked to be about Suki's age, a girl a few years younger than him, and a monkey-like animal standing on the shore. The boy and girl had similar enough features to look like brother and sister, and they both wore clothes from the Water Tribe. They were yelling and gesturing to someone in Unagi Bay. I squinted, and barely made out a young boy riding on one of the elephant kois! Behind him was a dark shadow in the water. I smirked. Looks like the unagi was hungry. When the boy finally looked at his friends, the elephant koi tossed him and dove back into the water. The unagi's fin loomed up behind the boy, and the rest of it soon followed. The boy freaked out and swam/ran to shore. He ended up crashing into the brother, tossing them both into the tree I was in. Thankfully, no one had looked up. The sister rushed over while the younger boy pulled his brightly colored clothes back on.

"What was that thing?" she asked with a worried expression.

"I don't know," the boy replied. The brother stood up.

"Well let's not stick around to find out," he said, dusting off his hands. "Time to hit the road." That was when Suki nodded, and the four of us jumped from the trees, surrounding the group. Suki grabbed the brother, I went after the sister, Lian got the boy, and Hua bagged the monkey thing. I tied the girl up and put a blindfold on her, then shoved her to the ground. I checked my inner stopwatch. 25 seconds, that's a record. "Or we could stay a while," the brother said hesitantly. The rest of the girls came out to help us march the intruders back to the village, where Oyaji and the rest of the villagers were waiting. We tied the prisoners to the statue of Avatar Kyoshi, then grouped behind Oyaji.

"You three have some explaining to do," Oyaji stated.

"And if you don't answer all your questions, we're throwing you back in the water, with the unagi," Suki added. I smiled. It was an empty threat, although they didn't know that.

"Show yourselves, cowards!" the Water Tribe boy shouted out. Suki yanked off his blindfold while I took off the other two's. "Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?" he demanded. I saw Suki bristle. She hated it whenever someone mistook us for men instead of girls.

"There were no men. We ambushed you," she said with pride. "Now, tell us. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The stupid boy got a look of disbelief on his face. "Wait a second. There's no way a bunch of girls took us down."

"A bunch of girls, huh? The unagi's gonna eat well tonight," Suki replied while grabbing his collar.

"No, don't hurt him! He didn't mean it. My brother's just an idiot sometimes," his sister spoke up. Suki released his collar.

"It's my fault. I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi," the younger boy said.

Oyaji stepped forward. "How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies?" he demanded. "Kyoshi stayed out of the war this far, and we intend to keep it that way." Oyaji was always paranoid about Fire Nation spies, even though these kids obviously weren't spies.

The younger boy's face lit up. "This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!"

Oyaji scoffed. "How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries!"

The younger boy looked down for a second before saying, "I know her, because I'm the Avatar."

Suki stepped forward. "That's impossible! The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago." He was in trouble now. Avatar Kyoshi was Suki's idol, and anyone who joked about her or any of the Avatars soon ended up at the healer's.

"That's me!" the boy said with a goofy grin.

"Throw the imposter to the unagi!" Oyaji ordered. We pulled out our fans and moved towards the prisoners. The girl muttered something to the imposter, and the next thing I knew he was soaring up into the sky, flipping over once before landing on his feet. Exclamations of astonishment escaped everyone's mouths as we watched.

"It's true!" Oyaji said with delight. "You are the Avatar." Reverently, we put away our fans and stepped back.

"Now," the Avatar said reaching into his shirt, "check this out." He pulled out marbles and made them spin in a circle in midair. It was a neat trick, but I was unimpressed. Everyone else, however, freaked out. One guy even foamed at the mouth and fainted. Gross. I edged away from him. The Avatar introduced himself as Aang, the girl as Katara, and the idiot as Sokka. Apparently the monkey thing was a flying lemur named Momo. Oyaji introduced himself, and then turned to us.

"And these are the Kyoshi warriors," he said, sweeping his hand to gesture at us. As one, we bowed to the Avatar.

Straightening herself, Suki said, "If you'll excuse us Avatar Aang, we must complete our training session."

The Avatar nodded and added, "Please just call me Aang." Suki walked off in the direction of the warriors' house with the rest of us following. The rest of the day was a blur of festivities, although Suki still kept our training schedule the same. That night there was a huge banquet, and we performed one of the dances that we used as a drill. People held parties, vendors put everything on sale, and the statue of Avatar Kyoshi was even repainted. Suki and I were had stopped for a few minutes on our way to training to watch this.

"This is the only good thing that has come out of the Avatar and his friends' visit," she said, leaning over towards me. I nodded. The Avatar and Katara were quite friendly and I enjoyed their company, but Sokka was an idiot. He always rolled his eyes whenever he passed one of us, or made little jibes behind our backs to the village boys. The next morning we were going through a few warm-ups when Sokka walked in the door.

"Sorry ladies, didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson," he said with a cocky grin. "I'm just looking for somewhere to get a little workout."

"Well. You're in the right place," Suki said drily. "Sorry about yesterday. I didn't know you were friends with the Avatar." Wow. Suki hardly ever apologizes. She must really like the Avatar.

"It's alright. I mean, normally I would hold a grudge, but seeing as how you guys are a bunch of girls, I'll make an exception."

Suki widened her eyes. "I should hope so. A big, strong man like you? We wouldn't stand a chance." Now I saw what she was getting at. She wanted to trick him into a fight so she could pound him again. I grinned. That's my Suki.

"True," Sokka said. "But don't feel bad. After all, I'm the best warrior in my village."

"Wow. Best warrior, huh? In your whole village?" Suki said while smirking back at us. "Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us a little demonstration." Sokka fell right into this. I grinned. This was going to be good.

Sokka's eyes widened. "Oh, well, I mean, I." he said, stumbling over his words.

Suki turned towards us. "Come on girls. Wouldn't you like him to show us some moves?" We laughed and nodded.

"Well that's what you want, I'd be happy to," Sokka said, apparently deciding he could beat Suki. Sokka began his demonstration while the rest of us waited for Suki to take him down. He lunged at Suki, who blocked him by jabbing him in the shoulder with her folded fan. Sokka made an excuse about going easy on her, and then lunged at Suki again. This time she swept his legs out from underneath him, sending him sprawling. Sokka ran at Suki, who spun him in a circle and used his belt to tie his wrist to his ankle. He hopped around for a bit then fell on his face. I grinned. I had taught her that trick.

"Anything else you want to teach us?" Suki said as we all burst into laughter. Sokka hopped out of the room in a hurry, muttering about stupid girls. Later that afternoon we were going through our drills when Sokka walked in again.

"Uh, hey Suki," he said hesitantly.

"Hoping for another dance lesson?" she said caustically. Sokka stammered. "Spit it out! What do you want?"

Sokka got down on his knees and bowed his head. "I would be honored if you would teach me." My eyes widened. Sokka was quite a different person than the boy who had walked in this morning.

"Even if I'm a girl?"

"I'm sorry if I insulted you earlier. I was wrong." My eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Sokka was apologizing!

"We normally don't teach outsiders," Suki stated. "Let alone boys."

"Please make an exception," Sokka begged. "I won't let you down."

"Alright. But you have to follow all of our traditions," Suki said. She agreed a lot faster than I thought she would.

"Of course," Sokka agreed.

"And I mean all of them," Suki said. "Girls, training is over for the day. Go do whatever you want." My jaw dropped. Suki never ended training early. Even that time a girl fainted, she had another girl take her to the healer's while we kept on going. Then I realized something. She liked Sokka! That's why she went out of her way to bug him, or show him up, or in this case, cancel training. "Aiko, you can stay." I smiled. Here was my chance to push the two lovebirds together. They wouldn't know what hit them. As the rest of the girls filed out with squeals, Sokka's gaze landed on me, or more specifically, my hair.

"What's up with your hair?" he sputtered.

I crossed my arms. "It's called a braid, dum dum." Sokka opened his mouth to say more but my glare shut him up. I breathed a sigh of relief. Only Suki and Oyaji knew why my hair was the color it is, and that's the way it was going to stay. Suki sent me to get Sokka a uniform while she did his make-up. We were used to doing this quickly, so he was ready in a few minutes.

"Do I really have to wear this? It feels a little girly," Sokka whined. I rolled my eyes.

"It's a warrior's uniform. You should be proud," Suki said. "The silk thread symbolizes the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart." Sokka straightened with pride at each word.

"Bravery and honor," Sokka repeated.

Aang stuck his head in. "Hey Sokka. Nice dress," he commented before running off. Sokka slumped while I giggled.

"A warrior is always able to fight, no matter what they're wearing," I stated. "Think of this as…practice." We showed Sokka some basic moves, and then Suki told him to do it on his own.

Watching him, Suki said "You're not going to get it in one day. Even Aiko and I aren't that good."

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of it," Sokka replied. He sped up his movements, but lost his grip on his fan. I ducked out of its way and it flew out the door and hit a tree.

"It's not about strength," Suki admonished. "Our technique is about using our opponent's force against them. Aiko here can flip a man three times her size just by redirecting the force he uses. Loosen up. Think of the fan as an extension of your arm. Wait for an opening, then-" Suki had slowly been moving forward during her speech, and was cut off when Sokka disarmed her and shoved her to the ground. I let out a whoop, and applauded. "I fell on purpose to make you feel better," Suki said indignantly.

"I got you, admit I got you," Sokka said ecstatically while pointing his finger at her. Suki laughed and grabbed his fingers, bending them back and forcing him to the ground.

"Okay, it was a lucky shot," Suki said. "Let's see if you can do it again." The two got into position and circled each other. Right then I pounced, bringing them both down with me. I started tickling them. They both squirmed and gasped for breath.

"Rule number one Sokka. Always pay attention to your surroundings!" I said with a grin. Just then Suki grabbed me and started getting revenge. "No!" I laughed. "Can't! Breathe!" After a few minutes of tickle fights we got back down to business. By dusk, Sokka was able to block some of Suki's attacks. Oyaji rushed up to the door.

"Firebenders have landed on our shores! Girls, come quickly!" he shouted. Suki and I dashed out of the house and Sokka was soon following. The rest of the warriors were gathered around Avatar Kyoshi's statue.

"Alright, we're going to perform a surprise attack. We know they'll come in through these gates because they landed in Unagi Bay. Hide on the roofs until my signal," Suki commanded. We nodded and went to go hide.

** Yes, I'm evil, I left you at a cliffhanger. Sort of. I really wanted to write the invasion part from Zuko's perspective, and this seemed like a good place to cut it off. So I know Aiko didn't talk a lot in this, but I hope you gained something from her thoughts. And this took an entire afternoon to type, because I wrote it verbatim. Literally. And I know some people hate that and think it's uncreative, but it bugs me when it's not verbatim, and I think if I come up with an OC, then that's creative enough. So expect verbatim. And don't expect updates since I'm going to try and use my time to write as many chapters as possible before school starts. Bleh. Review, because I want three more reviews before I post the next chapter. Review!**


	3. Golden Girl

**Hey! It's the second chapter! But first some notes. For one, kudos to the guest called dsi user and the guest called Freak for giving me the three reviews I required to post this chapter. And for dsi user: congratulations! You got it right. The quote in the first chapter's disclaimer is from Young Justice! Cookies! (::)(::)(::)(::)(::) And I guess you know where I got the name Lian from ;) Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of its characters. I just carry Uncle's teapot.**

**Zuko's POV**

I rode in the gates of the tiny village with six of my best firebenders. The town appeared to be deserted except for a few heads peeping out of the windows.

"Come out Avatar!" I shouted. "You can't hide from me forever!" When no one came out I turned to my soldiers. "Find him," I ordered. They nodded and started riding down the street. I followed closely. Out of the blue, girls dressed in green and armed with fans jumped off the roofs, managing to knock a few men off their komodo rhinos. My soldiers attacked with their spears, but the girls blocked the thrusts. Two of them rushed at me. I shot bursts of fire at them, but they easily dodged. One girl jumped at me, but I quickly turned my komodo rhino, causing its tail to knock her out of the air. I aimed a burst of fire at her, but another warrior jumped in front of her and blocked it with her fan. Actually, it looked more like a…boy? Odd. While I was distracted, the other girl knocked me off my saddle and onto a porch, scaring my komodo rhino away. Looking at her, I realized her hair, which was long and pulled into a braid, was golden! I rubbed my eyes. Nope, still the same color. The boy and the two girls gathered around me, Goldie with her fans out, and the other two in fighting stances. I spun on my hands, shooting flames out of my feet. Goldie was thrown into the house, the other girl was slammed into a post, and the boy landed on his back. I jumped back onto the street, ready to fight.

"Nice try Avatar. But these little girls can't save you," I said. Someone shouted at me. I turned and saw the Avatar. I shot blasts of fire at him, but he evaded them. He leapt into the air, using his staff to stay afloat. Landing next to me, I knocked the staff out of his hands. Backing up, he noticed two fans a warrior had dropped. He picked them up and used them aid his airbending. I was knocked through the wall of a house. Groaning I sat up and noticed Goldie rubbing her head. I lunged at her, but she got to her feet and scrambled back. I shot short blasts of fire at her, which she dodged, but now I was close enough to grab her and pin her arms. She struggled until I made a fire dagger and held it over her eye.

"I would hate to ruin such a pretty face, but I'm not saying I won't," I whispered to her. She instantly stilled. "Now move." I shoved her ahead of me and we walked out of the door. Looking up, I saw the Avatar's flying bison. "Back to the ship!" I ordered. "Don't lose sight of the Avatar!" My men started to retreat, but we were stopped by a barrier made up of the warriors. The girl I had fought before gasped.

"Aiko!" she cried out. I smirked.

"Unless you want your friend to lose an eye, let us pass!" I shouted. The warriors did nothing for a few moments, but then the girl nodded, and they all folded their fans and stepped aside. We walked back to the gate where one komodo rhino had waited and mounted up; me still holding on to the girl.

"We let you pass! Now let Aiko go!" the girl demanded.

"And have you attack us as soon as she was back with you? As if!" I replied, kicking the rhino into a jog. Grabbing some rope that was in the saddlebags I tied the girl's hands together so I could steer. She immediately tried to kick out at me, but I hit her on the head with a well-aimed fist. She slumped forward, unconscious. I smiled victoriously until we were sprayed with water. It seems the Avatar stopped to put out the fire. We finally made it back to the ship. After boarding I gave the command to cast off. I told two soldiers to take Goldie to a cell, where they could untie her. Before they carried her off, I snatched the fans out of her belt. Holding them up to the light, I admired their color. Uncle walked over with a frown.

"What do you think you're doing Prince Zuko?" he asked.

"Admiring my new trophies," I said casually.

"No, with that girl!"

"Oh, her? I used her as a hostage to get out safely. And now I have bait for catching the Avatar," I replied, trying to pry open the fans.

"Prince Zuko! You just ripped an innocent girl from her home!" Uncle scolded.

"I do not need your scolding! Now open these!" I demanded. Uncle took the fans and flicked his wrist. Nothing happened. He flicked his wrist again. Again, nothing. He frowned, turning the fan over in his hands, studying it.

"Interesting," he muttered. "It seems as if there is a special trick to opening it." I snatched the fans back out of his hands.

"I'll get the girl to open them later," I said, heading towards my quarters.

"Prince Zuko, wait!" I heard my uncle shout, but I ignored him.

**Aiko's POV**

I woke up in a metal cell, groaning. I rubbed my head. I had hit it twice in one day; I hope I don't have a concussion. Looking around, I noticed a tray with a cup of water and a slice of bread on it. My stomach growled. It looks like it had been a while since I had been knocked out. I devoured the bread, but left the water alone. Looking at my reflection in the water, I realized my make-up was smudged. Carefully, I bended a little water of the cup and washed the make-up off of my face. I was thankful I hadn't used my bending in the fight, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do what I was about to do now. I bended the rest of the water and made it into a thick plank shape. Then I froze it. Grinning, I looked down at my new lever. I checked to see if my fans were still in my belt. Nope, someone had thought to disarm me. Oh well, I could fight them hand to hand if needed. Bending the plank so one end narrowed into a point, I stuck the pointed end into to crack between the door and the wall. Bracing myself, I slowly started to pry the door open. It wasn't locked, so once I got it moving, the door opened pretty easily. It seemed like they had relied on the heaviness of the door and the unavailability of tools to keep me in. I grinned. Now for the hard part: escaping. I cautiously walked down the halls, picking turns at random, looking for a way out. After about my tenth turn I heard voices. Peering around the corner, I saw two guards. I gave a small smile; this could be the break I was looking for. I charged the guards, hitting one on the head with the plank. He promptly passed out. I melted the plank just in time to form a shield from the other's fire blast. I quickly water whipped him in the face. The guard reeled, and I took the opportunity to grab his collar and slam him against the wall. Freezing the water into a small dagger, I held it against his throat.

"Which way is out?" I demanded.

"Three rights, two lefts, and up the stairs," he said hurriedly. I gave him a smile a thanks, and then applied just enough pressure on his throat with my hand for him to pass out. I followed his directions and soon found myself on the deck of a boat. It was nighttime, but the moon was almost full so I had no trouble seeing. I grinned. This was just too good. One boat, surrounded by an ocean of water. I prepared to leap over the railing when I heard a shout of outrage. The boy who had captured me was running across the deck. I ignored him and went back to the rail when I noticed a glint of gold in his belt. He had my fans! Anger surged through me, and I charged him, melting the dagger again so I would have a weapon. I water whipped him in the side, but he barely reacted, and sent a few fire balls in my direction. I dodged him, but made sure to keep back, having learned my lesson from before. More soldiers ran onto the deck and I was soon surrounded. I changed tactics, making the water into the octopus form. The soldiers sent fire blasts my way, but I blocked them all. Then one of the soldiers behind me threw a cup at my head. It hit its target, surprising me enough for me to drop the octopus form. The soldiers rushed me, pinning me to the deck and tying my hands again. Someone yanked me to my knees. Right in front of me was the boy who had my fans. I lunged, but one of the soldiers restrained me.

"Do not attack Prince Zuko!" the soldier said.

"You don't deserve the title prince," I hissed. He leaned forward and yanked my braid. I kept my face emotionless, refusing to give him satisfaction at my pain.

"Do you know where the Avatar is going?" Zuko asked. I nodded. "Where?" he demanded.

I smirked. "Like I'd tell you." Zuko twisted my braid, hard, and I cried out. When he stopped, I spat at his feet. In retaliation, he slapped me, knocking me to the deck. He loomed over me, and I genuinely feared for my life, but a voice interrupted us.

"Prince Zuko!" an old man came onto the deck. "What are you doing?"

"Interrogating the prisoner Uncle," Zuko said coldly. Zuko's uncle walked over to me, the soldiers parting to let him through. Gently he helped me onto my feet.

"Is this any way to treat a lady?" he asked.

"She's a prisoner!" Zuko said, throwing his hands in the air in an exasperated fashion. His uncle started tugging at my bonds.

"General Iroh, I wouldn't-" the soldiers suggestion was cut off by my gasp. I bowed deeply at the waist.

"General Iroh, it is an honor to be in your presence," I said, still bowing. The general chuckled.

"Straighten up my dear. And these days I go by Uncle more than General. And what is your name?" he inquired.

"Aiko, sir."

"Uncle," he reprimanded. "And what a lovely name." Turning towards Zuko he stated, "See what a little kindness can get you?"

"Yes. We now know our prisoner was born out of marriage." Uncle looked at me to see my reaction. I merely straightened with pride.

"I was. And seeing as how my parents gave me my bending, my hair, and many other talents besides, I'm quite glad of it," I told him.

Gene- I mean Uncle Iroh started fiddling with the ropes again. "Now let's get you a nice cup of tea and maybe something to eat," he started, but was cut off by Zuko's protest.

"Uncle, you can't just go around untying dangerous prisoners!" Uncle stopped messing with my ropes.

"Aiko, do you promise not to cause trouble or fight any of us if I untie you?" he asked.

I nodded. "On my honor as a Kyoshi warrior, I do."

Zuko muttered something about illegitimates having no honor, but made no further protest. Iroh finished untying me, and was leading me to the galley when I paused by Zuko. Slipping a fan out of his belt, I held it delicately between my fingers and flicked it open.

Iroh clapped. "Bravo! Zuko had everyone on this boat try to open those fans! You really must teach me that trick someday." Smirking, I closed the fan and slipped it back into the belt of a gaping Zuko. Then I followed Iroh to get something to eat.

**So, Aiko's captured! And we find out her strange hair color, which is blonde! And I'm not throwing the blondeness in with no rhyme or reason, you'll find out why it's blonde in the next chapter or so. And Aiko's a waterbender! That girl is just full of surprises. And the reason Zuko said Aiko was born out of marriage is because Aiko means "love child" in Japanese. I like my names to have significant meanings. I want at least four more reviews before I update. I know you're out there, I can hear you breathing!**


	4. Backstory

**Hey! So sorry if your story alert went off forty billion times, I just kept forgetting things I wanted to explain the author's notes. And I forgot to write a disclaimer, so I went back and added that too. And that reminds me, if ya'll notice any grammar or spelling mistakes, please tell me so I can go back and fix them. Thanks. And cookies for the guest reviewer LaughingLlama and Obiwan1022 for also getting the quote. Well, here's the next chapter!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters. I just brush Appa during shedding season.**

** Aiko's POV**

I was sitting at the table in the galley as Iroh puttered around, grabbing this and that from cabinets. After a while he set a tray down in front of me. On it was a bowl of noodles and broth and a cup of tea. Uncle sat down across from me as I started eating, my spoon quickly scrapping the bottom of my bowl. I turned towards the tea with anticipation. I loved tea, and I had heard that Iroh was one of the best tea makers ever. Closing my eyes, I took a small sip. It was heaven.

"Jasmine, right?" I murmured.

"Yes, dear." I slowly finished the tea, eyeing the empty cup with regret. "Now, would you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

"Of course." I opened my mouth to begin, but heard someone come in. Twisting around, I saw that it was Zuko.

"Ah, Prince Zuko! Please, come join us!" Iroh said.

"I'll stand," Zuko replied. Turning back around, I started my tale.

"I'm sixteen. My mom was a waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe, and my dad is a spirit." Iroh's eyes widened in surprise.

"Which spirit?" he asked.

"Takeshi. He's a Northern Water Tribe warrior spirit. Golden hair, gray eyes. You can tell who I get my looks from," I said with a smile. "My mom and dad fell in love, and they had me. My mom wasn't married or even engaged, so the leader of her tribe exiled her, saying she was a disgrace to them. She ended up on Kyoshi Island, since it didn't involve itself in the war. My mom taught me waterbending. Even though she was never formally trained for fighting with her bending, she would watch the boys train, and she taught me what she had observed, along with the healing she had learned. I started training as a Kyoshi warrior when I was eight, as is tradition. When I was nine my mom died. I moved into the attic above the training room at the warriors' house. I've never met my dad since his territory is the Northern Water Tribe and I'm too far away for him to talk to me in person or in a dream, and I can't travel into the Spirit World."

"Did you inherit any…powers from your father?" Iroh asked.

"Yes. I'm able to pick up any weapon and handle it pretty well, but I still have to train to master a weapon. Swords, knives, a teapot. You name it, I can fight with it."

"A grain of rice," Zuko spoke up for the first time since I started. "How would you defeat me with that?"

Turning in my chair, I looked at him. "With enough accuracy, I could throw it into your mouth and lodge it in the passage to your lungs, making you choke. While you were in this weakened state, I would knock you out." I smiled evilly, and picking up a grain of rice that happened to be on the table, threw it at him. Zuko flinched, and I smirked.

"You missed," he stated.

"I'm not trying to defeat you. Yet," I said, facing Iroh again. "I can also read auras." Iroh's face lit up.

"Really? What does mine say?" he asked eagerly. I did the twist in my head that let me see auras and looked at him.

"Your aura is mostly green, although there are some other colors involved. Let's see, there's forest green for peace, pale green for nurturing, and jade green for balance. There's also a ring of bright yellow for mental alertness, and a ring of deep purple for wisdom. You have a great aura," I finished with a grin. Iroh let out a laugh and clapped.

"Do Zuko!" he said. Turning back to face Zuko, I stared at him.

"Bright red for anger, rust red for frustration, and mud brown for a worthless feeling," I stated. There was an awkward silence for a few moments; then Zuko stormed out of the room. Turning to Iroh, I asked, "Was it something I said?" Iroh burst out laughing.

**ooooooooooooo**

The next few days were quite pleasant, given the circumstances. I was well-fed, warm, and I was allowed a few hours on deck for fresh air. I wasn't even put in chains. I had a feeling that if it weren't for Iroh I would be treated much worse. As long as I avoided Zuko, I was relatively happy. One day, I was on the deck doing stretches when Zuko stormed past me.

"Uncle!" he shouted. Curious, I followed him. Iroh ran up the stairs to Zuko. "Uncle, the Avatar is close! Look what I found on a prison rig." Holding out his hand, Zuko revealed a blue necklace.

"That's Katara's!" I exclaimed. Zuko glanced at me, surprised that I had followed.

"See? It belongs to the girl the Avatar is traveling with!" he said to Iroh. Iroh stroked his chin, studying the necklace.

"It is an interesting find, Prince Zuko, but I don't see how it will help right now. However, I would hang on to it. You don't know when it will come in handy." Zuko nodded, and sticking the necklace inside an inner pocket, walked off.

**So we learned about Aiko's past. And how she got her coloring. And that she can read auras. I promise, the aura reading is the last of any magical power stuff. I just really like the idea of reading auras, so I usually add to my OCs. I want at least five reviews before I update again.**


	5. Silk

**Hey! So I got five reviews pretty quickly. Weird. Almost all of my reviewers are guests. Well, here's the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of its characters. I** **just match Toph's clothes.**

**Aiko's POV**

I was up on the deck soaking in the sunshine when Iroh walked up to me. "We've stopped to restock our supplies. I was going to go for a walk. Would you care to join me?" I nodded, and started to follow him, but then stopped.

"One minute Uncle, I have to go do something," I said before rushing back to my room. I closed the door behind me and started taking off my armor. It was comfortable enough, but it wasn't exactly regular clothing. And it was made for the colder weather on Kyoshi Island, so I was getting quite warm. Underneath the armor I was wearing a gray fitted, sleeveless shirt and gray pants. I smiled. Much better. Running back into the hallway, I raced back to the deck. I bumped into someone. Looking up at them, I realized it was Zuko. "Oh, sorry," I said. I started to go around him, but he grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked me.

"On a walk with Iroh," I said while pulling my arm out of his grasp. Zuko continued to stare at me. I smirked and crossed my arms. "Like what you see?" I asked.

"No!" Zuko shouted. I put a hand over my heart and sniffed.

"I'm deeply hurt," I said. Zuko growled and stormed off as I grinned. Joining Iroh on the deck I followed him down the gangplank and onto a little path. We walked in silence for a while. "Why does Zuko want to capture Aang so badly?" I asked hesitantly.

"When Zuko was thirteen, he was banished from the Fire Nation. The only way he can come back and regain his honor is if he captures the Avatar."

"Oh," I said softly. "Were you banished too?"

"No. But Zuko is like a second son. I chose to go with him, to offer him guidance."

"Who's your actual son?"

"Lu Ten," Iroh said looking at the ground.

"I bet he misses you a lot," I said quietly.

"Lu Ten died five years ago," Iroh said. I stopped and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry," I replied. "For the record, Lu Ten was a very lucky child. And so is Zuko." I let go of Iroh and we continued on. Looking off to the side, Iroh's face lit up.

"Look, hot springs!" he exclaimed, running off. Laughing, I followed, Iroh had already stripped and hopped into the pool. "Ahhhh," he said while sinking deeper into the water. "Would you care to join me? The water is just right."

"I'll pass this time," I replied. Looking around, I noticed a bunch of wildflowers. Grinning I picked them and climbed a tree. I started weaving the flowers into a chain. A few hours passed, and my chain grew longer and longer. I heard stomping, and Zuko soon appeared.

"Uncle! Aiko! It's time to leave! Where are you? Uncle Iroh!" he shouted.

"Over here," Iroh replied calmly.

"Up here," I said, waving.

"We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail, and I don't want to lose him," Zuko said.

"You look tired Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?" Iroh said.

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" Zuko shouted, starting to get angry.

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself," Iroh said, blowing hot air out of his nose.

Zuko waved the steam away and said, "Enough! Get out of the water!"

"Very well," Iroh said, standing up. I yelped and covered my eyes. Losing my balance, I fell out of the tree with a thud.

"On second thought, why don't you take a few more minutes? But be back in the ship in half an hour, or I'm leaving without you," Zuko said, walking off. Iroh settled back into the water.

I giggled. "Good one Uncle." I climbed back into the tree and picked up my flower chain. Closing my eyes, I let the sun's rays warm me. I was so warm, and the tree branch was positioned just right. I slowly dozed off as the chain slipped from my fingers….

I woke up to the sound of Iroh's voice. Looking down, I saw he was talking to a meadow mole. Awwww, it was so cute! All of a sudden, the ground rumbled, and earthen spikes came out of the pool's walls and surrounded Iroh. Five men in Earth Kingdom army uniforms walked out of the trees. One of them inspected Iroh's clothing.

"He's a Fire Nation soldier," the man said to another man who appeared to be their leader.

"He's no ordinary soldier. He's the Fire Lord's brother. The Dragon of the West. The once great General Iroh. But now, he's our prisoner," the leader replied. I closed my eyes as the soldiers pulled Iroh out of the pool. I heard the rustle of cloth and assumed he was putting on his clothes. Thank goodness. I opened my eyes and saw Iroh in just a loincloth. The soldiers started chaining him up.

"Hey!" I shrieked, jumping down from the tree. "Leave him alone!" I raced towards one of the soldiers. He bended rocks toward me. I dodged them, and pulled water out of the pool. I water whipped him in the face. He stumbled back as I turned to another soldier. I heard the earth rumble and jumped, turning around midair. It was their leader. Frowning, I froze the water into icicles and sent them at him. He evaded most of them, although a few managed to hit him, slicing through his clothing and into his skin. He growled, and stomped the ground. I jumped to the side, but I was too slow. I was soon encased in rock.

"Well, well. It looks like Iroh has a friend," the leader said. "Chain her up, we'll take her along," he ordered. Pretty soon Iroh and I were riding behind soldiers on their ostrich horses.

"Where are you taking Aiko and me?" Iroh asked after a few hours.

"Where you will face justice," the leader replied.

"Right. But where, specifically?" Iroh said.

"A place you're quite familiar with. A place you once laid siege to for six hundred days, but would not yield to you."

"Ah, the great city of Ba Sing Se," Iroh said.

"It was greater than you were, apparently," the captain said meanly.

"I acknowledged my defeat at Ba Sing Se! After six hundred days away from home, my men were tired, and I was tired," Iroh said, yawning. "And I'm still tired." He fell off the back of his ostrich horse. Everyone stopped and stared at him. Seizing my chance, I bit the shoulder of the soldier in front of me. He yelled, and I slid off the ostrich horse, landing on my side. I started rolling towards the trees, but didn't make it very far. The soldier from before grabbed my collar and hoisted me into the air. I flailed around like a fish out of water until he slapped me. Growling he slung me over the front of his ostrich horse, my head and feet dangling over the sides. Looking back, I noticed that Iroh had left his sandal. Perfect. Somehow I managed to doze off, even in my awkward position. When I woke up, we had continued traveling throughout the night. The soldiers ate dried meat for breakfast, although they didn't offer us any. We were walking up a hill when Iroh looked up and gasped.

"What's the problem?" the captain asked.

"Nothing," Iroh replied. "Actually, there is a bit of a problem. My old joints are feeling sore and achy, and these shackles are too loose."

"Too loose?" the captain said with a confused look on his face. I was confused too. Where was Iroh going with this?

"That's right! These shackles are too loose and they jangle around and bump my wrists!" Iroh complained. "It would help me if you would tighten them, so they won't shake around so much."

The captain frowned; then turned to a soldier. "Very well. Corporal, tighten the prisoner's handcuffs." We all stopped as the corporal dismounted and went to Iroh. Iroh breathed hot air on the shackle, then held the corporal's hand in place as he yelled. Jumping off the ostrich horse, he shot flames out of his feet. The ostrich horses freaked out, and I took the opportunity to squirm off the one I was on. I landed on my face, but didn't waste time crying. Following Iroh's example, I rolled off the side of the cliff. I heard the sound of the soldiers following us. They bent a pile of dirt in our way, and as we rolled into it, it stopped us. Ugh, I was definitely going to need a bath after this.

"He's too dangerous Captain. We can't just carry him to the capital," one of the soldiers said. "We have to do something, now!"

"I agree. He must be dealt with immediately, and severely," the captain replied. I winced, and Iroh spit out a rock as he gave a small smile. The soldiers found a small crater in the ground and climbed down into it, dragging us with them. There, they forced Iroh into a kneel, placing his hands on a rock. One of them held me off to the side.

"These dangerous hands must be crushed," the captain said.

"No! Help, somebody!" I yelled. The soldier guarding me covered my mouth with his hand. I bit it. He yelped, but kept his hands in place. The captain bent a boulder out of the ground and held it over Iroh's hands. I squirmed, trying to break free. Just as the captain released the rock, Zuko came out of nowhere and kicked the rock off to the side. He broke Iroh's and chain, and while my guard was distracted I managed to break free. I kicked him in the knee, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Excellent form, Prince Zuko," Iroh commented.

"You taught me well," Zuko replied.

"Surrender yourselves," the captain ordered. Sneaking up behind him, I grabbed the keys on his belt in my mouth. "It's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered." Squirming around, I managed to find the right key and free myself.

"You mean five against three," I said as I joined Iroh and Zuko. Zuko reached inside his armor and pulled out my fans. He handed them to me, and I flicked them open with a smile.

"That's true. But you are clearly outmatched," Iroh said. With a yell, the captain bent the ground, and the rest of the soldiers attacked. One of them bent boulders at me. I jumped up, hopping from one to the other until I reached the soldier and kicked him in the face. Landing on the ground, I ran to help Zuko, who was fighting off guards with his firebending. The captain bent rocks out of the ground and shot them at us. We dodged, and I ran forward to swipe him with my fans. I stepped out of the way just in time for Zuko to shoot several flames at him. The captain dodged several of them, and blocked the last with his helmet. Grunting, he bent two pillars of rock out of the earth. Zuko and I stumbled back, but then Iroh wrapped his chains around the captain's ankles and pulled his feet out from underneath him.

Zuko smiled at Iroh. "Now would you please put on some clothes?" he asked.

"Clothes would be nice," I added. Turning to me, Zuko held out his hand for my fans. Clutching them to my chest, I made the puppy dog face.

"Oh let her keep them," Iroh said. "She did fight the soldiers with us."

"Fine," Zuko said as he walked off. I grinned and slipped the fans into the waistband of my pants. Zuko led us back to where his komodo rhino was and hopped up, Iroh behind him and me behind Iroh. We headed back towards the ship, but Zuko went left instead of right.

"Um, isn't the ship that way?" I said, pointing to the other path.

"Yes, but the Avatar's flying bison was heading this way earlier today," Zuko replied.

"Awww, you chose to save your uncle and me over chasing the Avatar," I said with a goofy grin.

"I really just came for Uncle," Zuko said.

"Well either way, I thank you," I said. "_Prince_ Zuko," I added. Zuko twisted around to face me.

"Why did you call me that? I thought you said I didn't deserve the title prince," Zuko asked, surprised.

"You sacrificed your own desires to save your uncle. I think you deserve it now," I said with a shrug.

"This is very sweet," Iroh said. "Would one of you like to switch with me so you can be closer to each other?"

"No!" Zuko and I said simultaneously, him turning back to the road, and me blushing. We continued riding until we reached a village. Most of it was destroyed. We all got off of the rhino and looked around. A middle-aged man came out of one of the still intact buildings.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Zuko asked as he shoved the man onto the ground. I frowned but didn't say anything. "Seen the Avatar lately?" When the man didn't reply, Zuko advanced on him, holding a flame in his hands.

"Zuko, stop!" I said, rushing forward and grabbing his arm. He jerked it away, but it was enough to break his concentration, and the flame died. "I'm sorry," I told the man, kneeling next to him. "But please, it would be better for you and anyone else here if you told us where Aang went."

The man hesitated before saying, "Avatar Roku's temple." Zuko ran to the rhino and got back on, Iroh following.

"Thank you," I said to the man softly before joining them. Yawning, I leaned against Iroh. He was nice and warm, one of the benefits of being a firebender, I guess. I soon fell asleep.

**Zuko's POV**

We made it back to the ship about an hour after we left the village. I dismounted and led the rhino onto the ship, and gave the order to cast off, and to go in the direction of the Fire Nation. The crew looked surprised, but didn't protest.

"Prince Zuko," Uncle said softly. "I need a little help." Looking at him, I saw Aiko leaning on him, asleep. I gathered her into my arms, and Uncle was able to get off. "Why don't you take her back to her room?" Uncle said. I sighed, but didn't say anything. I walked down the corridors. I passed a ventilation shaft, and a blast of cold air hit us. Aiko nestled into my chest, trying to get warm. I made it to her room, and nudged the door open. Looking around, I saw her pallet neatly made, and her armor dress thing folded in a corner. I walked over the pallet and pushed the blanket back with my foot. I gently set Aiko down, and covered her with the blanket. I started to leave the room, but then stopped. Turning back, I knelt down and hesitantly reached out a hand. I paused, but then gently set it down on her braid. I ran my hand over it, enjoying the softness. It felt like silk. Aiko stirred, and I froze. She opened her eyes slightly and stared in my direction for what seemed like a long time, but then closed them again. I stayed in the same position until her breath evened out, and then I quickly left the room.

**Yeah, so the end of the chapter is pure fluff. Literally. I didn't want to put fluff in there so early, but my real life friend (aka Cheshire's red eye) convinced me otherwise. Mainly because she's a fluff monster. She eats fluff for breakfast. Anywho, I want at least six reviews before I update again.**


	6. Complications

**Hey! So new chapter! And the anonymous guest who said fluffy Zuko is funnybunny, that cracked me up. I literally couldn't stop laughing. Anywho, here's the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters. I just do Katara's hair.**

**Aiko's POV**

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Looking around, I noticed I was in my room. I wonder how I got here. The last thing I remember is falling asleep on the rhino. No wait. The last thing I remember is someone stroking my hair. It was weird, but nice at the same time. I guess it was the mystery person who took me to my room. Standing up, something shifted against my side. Oh yeah, it was my fans. Going over to my armor, I dug around in the pockets until I pulled out a leather strap with a holster on either side. Pulling my shirt up a little, I buckled it around my waist, and slipped the fans into the holsters. I smoothed my shirt over it. There. No one could tell I was armed. I walked out of my room and headed toward the deck, snagging a piece of bread from the galley on the way. Chewing on my breakfast, I looked for Iroh. I saw him at the front of the ship. He had a worried expression on his face.

"Good morning Uncle. What's wrong?" I said, getting to the point quickly.

"Prince Zuko has us sailing to Fire Nation waters," Iroh replied.

"Isn't he banished?"

"Yes. But the Avatar is headed to the Fire Nation, so that's where Zuko wants to go." I turned on my heel and ran off, intent on finding Zuko. Running through the ship, I crashed into Zuko, like yesterday.

"Zuko! Why are you going back to the Fire Nation!"

"That is where the Avatar is headed," he growled.

"You're putting yourself and everyone on this ship in danger! You're banished, no exceptions! Your crew could be arrested for following your orders. You could be killed! Don't do this!"

"My father will understand. And tell Uncle that next time he shouldn't go gossiping about my personal life!" Zuko said as he shoved me out of the way. I stare after him, dumbfounded. I couldn't believe he was going to risk everything to try and catch Aang. I shook my head and headed back to the deck. Looking around for Iroh, I spotted him and Zuko at the other end. Zuko said something, and a catapult rises out of the deck. I walk over to stand by Iroh, who's fanning away fumes from the rock soaked in tar that's sitting in the catapult. After one deep breath, I follow his example.

"Really, Prince Zuko. Couldn't you shoot them down with something more fragrant?" Iroh complains.

"Or not shoot them down at all," I mutter. Zuko ignores us, and lights the projectile with his bending.

"On my mark," he says. "Fire!" A soldier cuts the rope, and the projectile flies into the air, straight at Appa. I give a small gasp, but Appa dodges it. Looking ahead, Zuko's eyes widen. "A blockade," he says, shocked. I look forward, and see a giant line of ships.

"Technically you are still in Earth Kingdom waters," Iroh states, stroking his beard. "Turn back now and they cannot arrest you." I bite my lip, but don't say anything. I can tell Zuko is going to go through with this no matter what anyone says.

Looking at Appa again, Zuko says, "He's not turning around!"

"Please Prince Zuko!" Iroh begs. "If the Fire Nation captures you, there's nothing I can do! Do not follow the Avatar." Zuko bows his head while I shift my weight anxiously.

"I'm sorry Uncle," Zuko whispers. "Run the blockade!" he orders the men. The ships begin shooting flaming balls at Appa, who dodges them. He soars up into the clouds until I can't see him anymore. Directing my attention back to us, I see all the fireballs that missed Appa heading our way. I flinch every time one lands in the water near us. The ship rumbles, and I can tell we've been hit. A man comes running up.

"Prince Zuko! The engines are damaged! We need to stop and make repairs!" he shouts.

"Do not stop this ship," Zuko orders. I growl under my breath.

"This is exactly what I was talking about!" I shout at him, before running off after the man. I enter the engine room, and immediately start coughing from all the smoke. Looking around, I spot a giant hole in the wall where the fireball entered. Water has already started to slowly enter the ship. Using my bending, I force the water out, and freeze it over the hole, effectively creating a plug. "There," I say to the man. "That should hold until we stop." I run back to the deck, prepared for the next attack. Looking ahead, I can't spot the blockade. I spin around, and see it behind us. Iroh is leaning over the rail, looking off into the distance.

"Where's Zuko?" I ask Iroh as I walk over.

"He's gone after the Avatar by himself," was the tired reply.

"Gah, I can't believe him!" I yell.

"Zuko has much inner turmoil. He is rash and impulsive," Iroh said with a sigh. We stand in silence for a few minutes before a thought hits me.

"Iroh, who took me to my room last night?" I asked.

"Prince Zuko, of course," he replied. My eyes widened and I stiffened, my thoughts racing. If Zuko was the one who took me to my room; then he must have been the one who stroked my hair…my train of thought was interrupted by Iroh's muttered curse. "Zhao isn't following us anymore. He must have seen Zuko's ship through the smoke."

"Is there anything we can do?" I said.

"Nothing except wait," Iroh sighed. We spent several hours at the rail, sometimes chatting about nothing, but most of the time we were silent, lost in our thoughts. I kept returning to the fact that Zuko was the one who had stroked my hair. It was so out of character for the Zuko I knew. It was gentle, sweet even. I guess there was more to Zuko than I thought. My musings were interrupted once again by a soldier announcing Zuko's arrival. I took this as my cue to quietly sneak away to my room. I didn't feel ready to face him yet. I walked down the corridors, not really paying attention to where I was going. Footsteps echoed behind me, and I spun around. It was Zuko.

"Aiko? What are you doing outside my room?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't really paying attention to where my feet were taking me," I said. Taking a deep breath, I continued. "Look, I want to apologize for the way I presented my opinion earlier. Not for my opinion mind you, but just the way I said it."

Zuko looked a little surprised. "I'm sorry too. Uncle's always saying how I need to listen to everyone and not get mad at them." I smiled. We stood there in silence for a while until Zuko cleared his throat.

"Oh yeah," I said, moving away from the door to his room. As he walked past me, I grabbed his wrist. "Thanks for carrying me to my room last night," I said before letting go and running off, blushing. Why did I just say that? I should have just ignored it, but no, I had to go open my big mouth. I sighed. When had things become so complicated?

**Zuko's POV**

I watched Aiko run off. I was shocked. She didn't really mean that, did she? The look in her gray eyes was sincere. When she was yelling at me earlier, they looked like storm clouds. But just now they were soft, and looked more like silver. I shook my head. Why was I even thinking about this?

**So we're starting to see their relationship develop. Of course, I'm planning a huge fight because I'm evil like that. Mwahahahaha! And I want seven reviews before I update again.**


	7. Sold! Not

**Hey! Don't have a lot to say, except dsi user, you are a psychic. Your review was exactly what happened in this. Sort of. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or its characters. I just find new pieces of grass for Jet to chew on. **

**Aiko's POV**

I was on the deck watching Zuko practice firebending against one of his soldiers. The blasts of fire were beautiful, in a dangerous way. Like the sun. All of a sudden, the ship turned, setting everyone off balance. I nearly went overboard, but grabbed the rail before I went over the side. Zuko stormed off to talk to the helmsman, me following.

"What's the meaning of this mutiny?" he demanded. "No one told you to change course." I mentally snickered. His wording was so formal!

"Actually, someone did. I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko," Iroh said. I turned to see him sitting at a table with different colored squares painted onto it.

"Is it something to do with the Avatar?" Zuko's face held a flicker of hope.

"Even more urgent! It seems I've lost my lotus tile," Iroh said as he moved a piece on the table.

"Lotus tile?" Zuko asked. I cocked my head to the side, confused.

"For my Pai Sho game," Iroh stated. "Most people think the lotus tile insignificant. But it is essential to the unusual strategy I employ."

"You've changed our course for a stupid lotus tile?" Uh oh, someone's getting angry.

"See, you like most people, underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call. Hopefully, they'll have the lotus tile in stock, and I can get on with my life." Zuko took a deep breath, and breathed a short blast of fire. "I'm glad to have such an understanding nephew." Zuko stormed off, presumably to finish his practice. I knelt next to Iroh.

"Can you teach me how to play Pai Sho?" I asked.

Iroh nodded happily. "As soon as we find my lotus tile." We soon docked at the port. Iroh and I walked off, wondering at all the amazing objects for sale. Eventually we met back up with Zuko.

"I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace!" Iroh said indignantly.

"It's good to know this trip has been an entire waste for everyone!" Zuko shouted.

"Quite the contrary. I always say the only thing better than finding something you're looking for is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" Iroh exclaimed as some soldiers walked past with the stuff he had bought. One of them was carrying a tsungi horn.

"You bought a tsungi horn?" Zuko questioned.

"For music night on the ship! Now if only we had some woodwinds," Iroh said.

"Aiko, why didn't you stop him?" Zuko turned on me.

"You should've seen the load he would've bought if I hadn't been along," I said, holding up my hands defensively. During this exchange, Iroh had wandered off to a ship with a dragon head at the front and red sails.

"This place looks promising!" he said, pointing. Zuko growled, and I shook my head, but we followed him onboard the ship.

"Don't girls like shopping?" Zuko asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "Typical stereotype. It depends on what for. Weapons? Yes. Unnecessary clothes or trinkets? No." We walked inside and found Iroh examining a stone statue of a monkey.

"Oh, this is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?" he exclaimed.

"No, it would look creepy. I don't want it staring at me while I eat!" I said. I overheard one of the men say something about a Water Tribe girl and a monk. Zuko perked up and started questioning him about them. I ignored the talk and wandered around the shop, stopping at a shelf of scrolls. I loved to read. Picking one up, I saw that it was titled _"Tales of the Nations"_. I was about to unroll it when I felt someone run their hand down my braid. I whipped around and saw another worker.

"How much do you want for the girl?" he called out to Zuko. My eyes narrowed.

"I'm not for sale," I told him.

"We'd pay you handsomely for her," he continued, ignoring me. I grabbed his pinky finger and bent it backwards. His eyes widened in pain as he whimpered.

"Didn't you hear me? I. Am not. For sale!" I repeated, louder this time. He nodded, and I released his finger. Zuko had apparently missed this exchange, and walked over to me.

"Aiko, Uncle, we're teaming up with these men to find the Ava- I mean, the monk. Come on, we need to get back to the ship. And put down the monkey!" he said, directing the last bit at Iroh, who sighed dejectedly. A few minutes later, the three of us and some of the soldiers were on the smaller vessel, being lowered into the water. Zuko had insisted on me coming along, finally wanting to put his "use Aiko as bait" plan into action.

I grumbled under my breath. "I still don't see why we have to work with them. You're perfectly capable of finding Aang on your own!"

"You just don't like them because they tried to buy you," Zuko retorted. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," I mumbled to myself. We met up with the men on a nearby river, and Zuko boarded their ship to consult with the captain. Iroh patted my arm consolingly.

"Don't worry, we would never sell you," he said.

"Like I would let you," I replied with a grin. We sailed for hours, not stopping even when the sun set. The moon was high in its path when I heard a girl's voice. Katara! I bit my lip. I didn't want to jeopardize my position on Zuko's ship, but I definitely did not want to play a part in my friends' capture. We stopped the boats behind some trees. The men immediately disembarked, Zuko close on their heels. I followed more slowly, stopping behind a bush where I could observe without being seen. One of the men grabbed Katara, but she water whipped him in the face. Atta girl! She turned and ran, straight into Zuko.

"I'll save you from the pirates," he said. Great, the men were pirates! Way to go Zuko. He tied Katara to a tree and started interrogating her. Her response? She told him to go jump in the river. I smiled at that one. Then he brought out her necklace, but she still refused to lead him to Aang. The lead pirate demanded his scroll back, but Zuko held it over a flame and told them to search the woods. I shifted my weight, trying to remain hidden. It seems as if they've forgotten about me, thank goodness. The sun had risen when the pirates returned with Aang and Sokka. I frowned, hadn't their been another pirate? Katara apologized to Aang.

"Give me the boy," Zuko demanded.

"You give us the scroll," the captain said.

"Only when you hand over the boy," Zuko stated.

"I thought you might say that," the captain smirked, and nodded his head. Someone grabbed my braid, yanking my head back, and held a knife to my throat. I froze. Looks like I found the missing pirate. "That's why I brought another…bargaining tool. Bring her out Ru!" My captor, Ru apparently, shoved me out of the bushes and over to the rest of the pirates. For some reason, this felt oddly familiar. Zuko's eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.

"Like that girl would make much of a difference," he scoffed.

"You're really going to hand over the Avatar for that stupid piece of parchment?" Sokka butted in.

"Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other," Zuko said.

"Your friend is the Avatar?" the captain asked, curious.

"Sure is," Sokka said with a grin. "I'll bet he'll fetch a lot more on the black market than that fancy scroll." I inwardly smiled.

"Shut your mouth you filthy Water Tribe peasant!" Zuko yelled.

"Yeah Sokka, you really should shut your mouth," Aang added.

"Please do," I chimed in as Ru pressed the knife harder against my throat.

"I'm just saying, it's bad business sense. Just imagine how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for life. Not to mention however much you could get for Aiko here," Sokka said, gesturing at me on the last part.

"Keep the scroll. We could get a hundred for the money we'll get for the kids," the captain said, turning to leave.

"For your information, I'm sixteen," I sniffed.

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me," Zuko said right before he and two of his soldiers shot blasts of fire at the pirates, scattering them. One with stringy hair ran forward, throwing smoke pellets at Zuko and his soldiers. The soldiers charged towards Aang, Sokka, and me, but more pirates leapt in front of us and threw down more smoke pellets. I jerked my head back, smacking my captor in the nose. He yelled and dropped his knife. I ran off, trusting the boys to take care of themselves. Right now I was more worried about Katara. I ran over to her tree and sliced through the ropes with a fan.

"Aiko!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Long story short, I was captured by Zuko. Now come on, you need to get out of here," I said, dragging her by the wrist. We ran down to the pirates' ship. Katara immediately started to try and push it into the water. Aang and Sokka charged down the beach.

"Katara, you're alright!" Aang said. "And Aiko, what are you doing here?"

"Zuko."

"Help me get this boat back in the water so we can get out of here," Katara said. Aang and Sokka ran over to help while I just shook my head.

"Guys, just use your bending!" I said. Aang and Katara looked at each other; then ran over to stand by me. We moved our arms in sync, creating waves that slowly moved the boat into the river.

"Everybody in!" Katara shouted once it was far enough into the water. Katara, Sokka, and Aang climbed on while I stayed on the shore. Aang paused on the ladder.

"Aren't you coming Aiko?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Eventually, you're going to need someone to teach you firebending. Strangely, I think Zuko is the one to do it." Aang gave me a strange look, but didn't say anything else. I waved good-bye, then bended a wave of water to speed them on their way. Looking back, I saw the pirates following in Zuko's ship. I grinned, even though it meant a long walk back to the boat. Zuko ran past me, and I sprinted to catch up. I saw a waterfall, and the gang was about to go over! I gasped, but right as they went over, Appa came out of nowhere and caught them. I sighed in relief, and maybe a little regret. I had refused one of the easiest escapes ever.

"My boat!" Zuko exclaimed as we made it to the edge of the cliff. Iroh was chuckling.

"Prince Zuko, you're going to get a kick out of this. The lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" he said. I groaned, and facepalm. Zuko grabbed the tile and threw it over the cliff.

"You know that means we have to do this all over again?" I commented.

"Oh, shut up," he growled as he walked past. I grinned and followed. At the end of the day, I could always mess with Zuko to cheer myself up.

**Don't really have anything to say. Except, if Kyoshi Island is Earth Kingdom, and I'm pretty sure it is, why do all the people wear blue?**


	8. First Kiss

**Hey! I'm posting this chapter earlier than usual because I'm going to my grandparent's until next Thursday, so I won't have access to my ATLA episodes. And I need to work on my other stories too. So I won't update again until at least Friday. And just so you know, Aiko gets kissed in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or its characters. I just found Appa a lady friend.**

**Aiko's POV**

It had been a few days after the pirate fiasco, and Zuko was still mad. Not only did he lose the Avatar _again_, his smaller boat had been stolen and wrecked. And Iroh made him stop again to get a lotus tile. The only good thing that had come out of this was that I was learning Pai Sho. Your goal was to gain points by creating more harmonies than your opponent before either of you created a solid chain of harmonies around the center of the board. Iroh always beat me, but he said I was improving every day. I was headed to my room after the daily game of Pai Sho when I ran into Zuko.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," I said, smiling up at him.

"What are you so happy about?" he growled. I blinked.

"I'm alive aren't I?" I said cheerfully.

"Will you stop being so happy!" he snapped. I frowned.

"Well, looks like someone's a sore loser," I said.

"You would be too if you had something you'd been searching for three years within your grasp, but then lost it again!" he yelled.

"That wouldn't happen because I don't let people tell me if I've lost my honor!" I shout.

"What you would know about honor, _Aiko_" he sneered. I stiffened.

"At least I'm proud of my parents, which is more than you can say!"

Zuko's expression grew thunderous. "Uncle has allowed you too much freedom. I'm taking you back to your cell!" He reached for me, but I jump back.

"I'd like to see you try, _Ponytail_!" I turn and run down the hall, Zuko shooting blasts of fire after me. With his longer legs, he soon catches up. Zuko grabs my wrist, yanking me to a halt. "I don't believe this!" I shout.

"Believe it, _Goldie_," he snarls, squeezing my wrist. Just then I become aware of a burning pain. Tugging my wrist out of his grasp, I inspect it as tears come to my eyes. There's a bright red mark in the shape of Zuko's hand, and it's quickly starting to blister. I draw back as Zuko steps forward, all of the anger gone from his face. "Aiko, I-"

"Leave me alone!" I stumble backwards, turning on my heel and running blindly down the hallways, tears pouring down my face. My feet trip over stairs, and I realize I've been headed to the deck all this time. I dash up to the deck, my goal being the rail. I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago. Without a backwards glance, I leap over the rail and splash into the water below. I wince at the salt in my wound, but I know the water is helping clean it out. I bend a bubble of air around me with one hand, and leave the easier job of shoving water behind me to move me forward to my injured hand. I head towards the landmass I saw as I jumped overboard. Thankfully, it only takes me about fifteen minutes to reach shore. I stumble onto land, dead tired. I've come up by a river that feeds into the ocean. I follow it, hoping to find some shelter. An hour later, I've entered a forest, but have yet to find a single soul. I finally collapse underneath a tree, exhausted. I hear a rustle that's too big for anything harmless and struggle to sit up.

"Hello?" I call out. "Who's there?" No one answers, but I remain upright. A few seconds later, a twig snaps. With my good hand, I draw out a fan and flick it open. "Is anyone out there?" I say loudly. Minutes pass, and no one answers. My eyelids start to droop. "You're losing your touch Aiko," I mutter to myself as I put the fan away. Someone steps out of the trees. I jump to my feet and scramble to pull out a fan, but that was the straw that broke the proverbial ostrich horse's back. I fall to the ground, and my last memory is the person running towards me.

**ooooooooooo**

I wake up on a cot in a small wooden room. What looks like a girl with short brown hair and wearing mismatched armor is sitting in a chair besides me. She sharpening a knife on a stone, but sets it to the side when she notices I'm awake. I sit up, wincing as I place weight on my injured wrist. I look down and see that it's wrapped in bandages.

"How long have I been out?" I ask.

"A day. Is there anything you need?" the girl asks in a voice that makes it sound like she has a cold.

"Got any water?" The girl walks out of the room, and soon returns with a beaten up metal cup filled with water. She hands me the cup, and I set it between my legs. I start to unwrap the bandages on my wrist.

"Hey, don't do that! It took forever for me to wrap that neatly!" the girl shouts. I ignore her, and finish unwrapping the bandages. Looking at the burn sends a fresh wave of pain through my arm. Somehow it looks worse than it did when it was fresh. The blisters are oozing clear pus, and the skin around it looks like a fresh sunburn. I bend the water out of the cup and place it on the burn. I focus, and the healing powers of the water start, making the water glow. I wince at first, but soon sigh in relief. When I can tell that the water's done all it can, I place it back in the cup and inspect my wrist. I have a scar since I didn't heal it soon enough, but other than that, it looks and feels like I've had it for years, not a day. "You're a waterbender!" the girl exclaims.

"Yes. You may want to throw that water out, it has bacteria in it now," I say with a smile. "My name's Aiko by the way."

"Smellerbee," the girl says in reply.

"Pardon?"

"That's my name. Smellerbee," she repeats.

"Oh. That's a…unique name. Where am I?"

"I'll handle it from here on out Smellerbee," a voice says. I look over at the door and see a boy about my age. He has brown hair, two sword handles sticking over his shoulders, a stalk of grass in his mouth, and the air of a flirt. Even though I didn't really see him, I knew he was the figure I saw in the forest. He smiles at me as he takes Smellerbee's recently vacated chair. "My name's Jet and I'm the leader of the Freedom Fighters."

"Who are the Freedom Fighters?" I ask. They obviously aren't a professional group, or I would've heard about them on Kyoshi. That fact was also apparent in the pieced together armor Smellerbee and Jet wore.

"We fight back against the Fire Nation scum. All of us have been hurt by the Fire Nation. Most of us are orphans." I shift uneasily.

"Not all Fire Nation citizens are that bad," I say, thinking about Iroh and some of the soldiers I met on the ship.

"How can you say that? Look at how they've hurt you!" he says gesturing at my wrist.

"How do you know I just didn't burn myself with regular fire?" I ask.

"You were by yourself when I found you, you were obviously scared and panicking because you hadn't healed yourself, and the burn is in the shape of a hand."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that last part," I mutter.

"Now, would you care for some fresh air?" Jet asks. I nod, and get off the cot, ignoring Jet's proffered hand. Walking out of the door, I stop short. It's a city up in the trees, and it's incredible.

"So, what do you think of our camp?" Jet says as he comes out and casually places his arm around my shoulders.

"It's amazing," I reply as I step forward as if to get a better view. Normally I wouldn't be so rude, but I want to nip this flirting in the bud.

"Come on, it's almost time for dinner," Jet states. "You're in luck, we still have a lot of food left over from our last raid." I frown at the word "raid," but don't protest as Jet places his hand at the small of my back and guides me across some rope bridges to a big platform with a table in the center. A lot of people are sitting in the tree branches, and I realize that however unprofessional this group may be, they've got numbers. Sitting at the table are the people who I guess are the elites of the group. Jet places himself at the head of the table, and I'm at his left. To my right is Smellerbee, who I shoot a quick smile at.

"Everyone, this is Aiko! She'll be staying with us for the time being," Jet announces as the Freedom Fighters let out a whoop. "Aiko, this is Longshot," he said pointing to the boy across from me. He had a bow and quiver of arrows slung across his back. "This is Sneers," he said, pointing to the boy next to Smellerbee. "That's Pipsqueak," he said pointing to a big boy next to Longshot, "that is The Duke," I hid a smile behind my hand at the adorable little boy wearing too big armor, "and this is everyone else," he finished, gesturing at the trees. "Everyone else" gave a cheer as his hand passed over them. As we dug into our meal, I turned to Smellerbee.

"So how long have you been with the Freedom Fighters?" I ask.

"A few years, ever since Fire Nation took my family's land. I have a lot of brothers and sisters. My parents couldn't support us all, so I ran away," she said with a shrug. "I heard about the Freedom Fighters, and decided to join. Been here ever since," she finished up.

"So, can you actually use that knife?" I said with a grin.

"Is that a challenge?" she replied, matching my grin.

"More like an offer for training practice," I said. She nods, and I smile again. I look ahead to Longshot. "Do you mind giving me a few lessons with that?" I ask, nodding my head at his bow. He raises my eyebrows at me in a silent question. "If I'm going to be here, I figure I might as well use my time wisely," I state. He nods and I smile. After that we sit in silence, finishing our meal. Once we're done, I head back towards my room, turning down Jet's offer as a guide. I fall asleep as soon I as I lay down.

The next morning I wake up. Looking outside, I see children running everywhere. I don't want to go to breakfast, so I climb trees until I find enough leechi nuts to satisfy my hunger. Wandering around, I spotted Smellerbee.

"Hey!" I said as I ran up to her. "Ready for the training?" She nods.

"Do you need any weapons?" Smellerbee asks. I shake my head, lifting my shirt a little to reveal my belt with the fans. "Cool. Come on, the training platform is this way." She leads me to a large platform with high railings to keep people from falling off. I pulled out my fans and flicked them open, and Smellerbee took out two knives. We circled each other, looking for an opening. I attacked first, running forward and swiping at her chest. Smellerbee blocked my fan with a knife, and jabbed the other one at my stomach. I pulled back, and placed my fans in a defensive position.

"So, any boys you like?" I asked, grunting as I flipped over her head and aimed a kick at her back. My foot met its target, and she stumbled forward.

"No," she replied as she spun around, running at me.

"Are you sure? I saw those looks you gave Longshot," I said teasingly while twisting to the side.

"I'm not giving Longshot looks!" Smellerbee shouted as she turned bright red.

I raise my eyebrows while dodging her attempt to pull my legs out from underneath me. "I was just joking." I dash forward and put my fan to her throat right as she puts her knife to my stomach. "Truce?"

"Truce," Smellerbee nods. We put our weapons away. "So, hypothetically, if I did like Longshot, do you have any advice?" I grin and squeal.

"I knew it!" Smellerbee eyes me like I'm crazy. "Okay, act like yourself, but make sure to pay special attention to him. I would say laugh at his jokes, but seeing as how he hasn't spoken a word as far as I know, that won't work. Speaking of Longshot, I'm going to find him for that archery lesson. You wanna come?"

"Yes!" she nods enthusiastically, and I laugh. "So where does Longshot usually hang out right about now?"

"The lookout point," she answers promptly. "But he'll be off watch by the time we get there." I smile.

"Come on then!" I say. Smellerbee takes me to the lookout point, where Longshot and Sneers are sitting. "Hey Longshot, Sneers. Ready for that archery lesson?" Longshot gets up and silently takes us back to the training platform. He heads to a tent in the branches above it, and hands a target to me, and a bow and quiver of arrows to Smellerbee. I set up the target on one end of the platform and walk back to Longshot and Smellerbee. He silently hands me the bow and makes a little gesture as if telling me to show my stuff. I grab an arrow from the quiver and string it.

"I haven't used a bow in a while, so please excuse me if I'm out of practice," I say. I raise the bow and take a moment to aim. Letting go of the arrow, it buries in the target right outside of the center of the target. Longshot raises his eyebrows at me. "You see my hair? Got it from my dad. Also got the ability to pick up any weapon and use it pretty well." Longshot nodded, then started adjusting my stance. We spent a few hours doing this, me shooting an arrow, then him silently fixing things that were wrong. Smellerbee had to leave eventually, although obviously reluctantly. "So…any girls?" I ask while shooting another arrow. Longshot's eyes flicked in the direction Smellerbee left in as he lowered my elbow and lifted my chin. "This is just too perfect," I say with a grin while shooting another arrow. He raises his eyebrows questioningly while twisting my torso more forward. "Don't tell anyone this because Smellerbee will kill me if she finds out I told you, but she likes you too." Longshot breaks out in a huge grin. Patting my shoulder, he walks off in the same direction Smellerbee did. I smile and start putting everything away.

"You did good," a voice said. I yelped and fell out of the tree, straight into Jet's arms. Oh joy. "Sorry about that," he says. I squirm, signaling that I wanted down. He granted my wish, and I took a few steps back, folding my arms. "So we're planning a raid on a Fire Nation camp tomorrow. I want you to come along."

"Why me?"

"I saw you practicing with Smellerbee. You're good. And I heard what you said to Longshot."

"Well isn't someone the little stalker? Look, I don't want to go on any raids, Fire Nation camps or otherwise."

"I get it, you want some time to settle in, get used to the place."

"Who said I was staying? I was actually planning on leaving in a few days," I said, frowning.

"Maybe I can convince you otherwise," Jet said, before wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me. I froze. I can't believe he was actually doing this! My body finally caught up to my mind, and I jerked back.

"What was that for?" I shouted.

Jet shrugged. "You're pretty, a good fighter, and you don't run your mouth all the time." I punched him in the nose, hard. He stumbled away, and I turned and ran. I headed towards the ropes down. I was done here. I sprinted past Smellerbee, who had a huge smile on her face. I guess everything had worked out with Longshot. Ignoring her calls, I grabbed the rope and rappelled down the tree. My feet hit the ground, and I took off again. I had gone about a mile when I bumped into someone.

"Oh sorry," I say before beginning to walk around them.

"Aiko, it's me!" I looked up, startled, right into Zuko's gold eyes. I jump back, and his face falls a little. "I want to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just let my temper get the best of me. I'm truly sorry."

I smile softly. "It's alright Zuko. I forgive you." Just then a thought hits me. "Zuko we have to go, now!" He looks at me, confused. I groan. "There's no time to explain, now come on!" I grab his hand and pull him forward into a run. After a few moments of dragging him along, he gets the idea and starts running on his own. I drop his hand and speed up, Zuko easily keeping pace. The longer we run, the further ahead I get. We finally make it back to the beach where we both collapse on the sand.

"How-are-you-able-to-run-so-long?" Zuko asks, gasping for air.

I grin, having regained my breath. "I could've gone for at least an hour more. Kyoshi training."

"Can you tell me why we ran now?" he says, having also regained his breath. I bite my lip before answering.

"I met an anti-Fire Nation group that calls themselves the Freedom Fighters. To sum it up, I had an awesome archery lesson, gave some love advice, and their leader stole my first kiss. After that I ran off. And since you're obviously Fire Nation, I didn't want a fight."

"Wait, he kissed you?" I smirked.

"So I give you all that information, and the first thing you ask about is that some guy kissed me?"

"Well, I, um…I have to protect my prisoners' honor!" he finally answered.

"Awwww, that's so sweet!" I smile. "Come on, let's go back to the boat. How did you get here anyway?"

"I swam," Zuko answered sheepishly. I laugh, and head down to the water. I freeze a circle of water, and gesture for Zuko to get on, and I follow. I bend us back to the boat, then spin my hand in a circle. A column of water rises up underneath us, and we step off it onto the boat.

"I'm done," I say yawning. "It's been a long day. If you see Iroh, tell him I said hello." I head back to my room and collapse on my pallet.

**I'm so evil! You thought she would kiss Zuko! Mwhahahahaha! Yeah, obviously, I don't like Jet. But I did soften slightly when he got hurt helping the Gaang. Anywho, night everyone!**


	9. Flashbacks

**Well, I haven't updated in at least a week, but I needed to write for my other stories. You'd better appreciate this chapter, because it's one of my favorites. :) Well here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters. I just fixed Aang's glider after the episode "Jet."**

**Aiko's POV**

It had been a few days since I had come back, and we were still following Aang's trail, although not him. He had been going through the Great Divide, so we couldn't exactly follow him in the boat. However, we were following the coast. The three of us were on the deck. Iroh took a deep breath of air.

"There's a storm coming. A big one," he commented.

"You're out of your mind Uncle. The weather's perfect. There's not a cloud in sight," Zuko says.

"A storm is approaching from the north. I suggest we alter our course and head southwest," Iroh replies calmly.

"It's true," I say, throwing in my two bits. "I broke my elbow pretty badly a few years ago, and it starts aching whenever a storm's on the way. And it's starting to bother me."

"We know the Avatar's traveling northward. So we will do the same," Zuko states.

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew," Iroh says.

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" Zuko shouts, right as Lieutenant Jee walked onto the deck. Well. This just got interesting. The lieutenant raised an eyebrow at Zuko. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety," Zuko explained himself.

"It's nice to know you care," I comment sarcastically. Zuko walks back inside.

"He doesn't mean that. He's just all worked up," Iroh says, trying to make amends. I shake my head and walk to the railing. I can vaguely make out land.

"Planning another escape?" Iroh asks with a chuckle as he joins me.

"No, one was enough for me," I reply, joining in the laughter. I turn my head, and spot a dark gray mass in the sky. "Well, it looks like we were right," I comment. The crew members that aren't essential to running the ship come up onto the deck and stare at the clouds. Zuko also joins us. Oh boy.

"Looks like your Uncle and Aiko was right about the storm after all," Jee says, crossing his arms.

"Lucky guess," Iroh says, trying to make peace. I nod enthusiastically.

"Lieutenant, you better learn some respect. Or I'll teach it to you," Zuko says threateningly before walking off.

"What do you know about respect?" Jee sneers. I facepalm while Iroh makes the stop motions. Zuko freezes. "The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hardworking crew to your esteemed uncle, shows you know nothing about respect," he continues. I wince. "You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again what should I expect from a spoiled prince," Jee finishes. I sigh and edge behind Iroh. If flames start flying I want to be protected. Zuko and Jee get into fighting stances.

"Easy now," Iroh says soothingly. He walks over and pushes their arms apart. "Enough! We are all a bit tired from being at sea so long," he says. "I'm sure after a bowl of noodles, everyone will feel much better," he adds, looking slyly at Jee. The two frown at each other before turning away.

"I don't need your help keeping order on my ship," Zuko directs at Iroh. Iroh places his hand on Zuko's shoulder, but he shrugs it off and walks to the front of the boat. I bite my lip before running up and giving him a quick hug. He looks at me in surprise.

"Just wanted to let you know you're wanted," I say with a shrug. "You should get inside soon, it's going to start pouring rain any minute now," I add before heading below deck. I wander around until I spot firelight below me. Looking down I see the crew gathered around the fire, drinking. And I'd bet anything they were grumbling about Zuko. I walk down the stairs and hear the end of Jee's sentence.

"I mean, who does Zuko think he is?!" Yep, I was right. I quietly sat down on the edge of the firelight.

"Do you really want to know?" Iroh said as he stepped out of the shadows.

"General Iroh!" Jee exclaimed, standing. "We were just-"

"It's okay," Iroh said, cutting him off. "May I join you?" he asks calmly.

"Of course sir," Jee replies. Iroh makes his way to the circle and sits down.

"Try to understand. My nephew is a complicated young man. He has been through much," Iroh says. He proceeds to tell us the tale of how he took Zuko to a war meeting. Of how a general suggested using a division of new recruits as a distraction. Of how Zuko spoke up. Of how the Fire Lord was angered, and said it was to be settled with an Agni Kai. Of how his opponent was his father. Of how he begged for forgiveness. Of how he had refused to fight. And of how Ozai burned his own son, scarring him for life. I covered my mouth with my hand as tears came to my eyes.

"I always thought Zuko was in a training accident," Jee said, downcast.

"It was no accident. After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness. As punishment, he was banished, and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honor," Iroh finished the story.

"So that's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal," Jee said thoughtfully.

"Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is the Avatar gives Zuko hope," Iroh said. I quietly walked off, thinking about what I had just learned. Just then I heard a crack and realized we had been sailing through the storm. And it sounded like we had just been hit by lightning. I shivered. I had been afraid of lightning since I was little. I found an obscure corner and wedged myself into it. I listened to the sound of thunder and lightning.

_Suki and I we were racing each other home. Clouds were gathering, and it was getting dark._

I jumped at a particularly loud boom. I curled my legs up to my chest, resting my head on my knees.

_I waved as Suki went into her house. I continued on to my home, which was off by itself._

I shuddered as I started to cry.

_I could see my mom through the window. I knew she would be making bean soup, like she always did when it rained._

"No," I muttered, trying to block the memories.

_It started to rain, and I sped up. Just then I saw a giant bolt of lightning. I watched as it shot down, striking our house. It disappeared in a heartbeat, but I didn't notice. The house was on fire. And Mom was inside. "MOM!" I shrieked. I ran forward, but someone's arm caught me. Looking up, their face was a blur. I realized I was crying. I collapsed, sobbing. Someone else came and hugged me, rocking me gently back and forth as we watched my home burn._

The tears came hot and fast. I tried to keep quiet, not wanting to attract attention.

**Zuko's POV**

I walked below deck, feeling a rare moment of calm. I had earned respect among my men, and apologized to my uncle. Now all I had to do was find Aiko. I hadn't seen her since a few hours ago; when she said a storm was coming. I wandered the hallways, looking for her. It must have been at least twenty minutes before I heard a whimper, like someone trying not to cry.

"Aiko?" I say softly, heading towards the sound. She doesn't answer. I finally spot her, tucked into a corner. She's curled up in a ball, crying. "Aiko?" I repeat, gently touching her shoulder. She flinches, but doesn't shake my hand off. I sit down next to her, and hesitantly wrap my arms around her. She presses herself against me, sobbing into my chest. I sit there for what seems like hours, just holding her. Eventually her breathing evens out, and I realize she's fallen asleep. I gently pick her up and carry her to her room. I try to place her on her bed, but her fingers won't let go of my sleeves.

"Fine," I grumble. "But if you're staying with me, I'm not sleeping on that," I say, glaring at the pallet, which is little more that straw stuffed in a sheet with a blanket on top. I bring her to my room, and lay down on the bed with her. I soon join her in sleep.

**Mwahahaha! Another cliffie! Whatever will happen when they wake up? You can guess…in a review! I'll be posting the next chapter as soon as I finish.**


	10. All In A Day's Work

**Hey! So I know this chapter is a long time coming, especially with my evil little cliffie at the end of the last one. I got ten sentences into it, and I lost all inspiration and worked on my other stories, and then there was school, and piano, and horse, and all this other stuff. But I made it extra-long(ish) to make up for it. So here goes!**

**Disclaimer: I don't Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of its characters. I just supply King Bumi with lettuce leaves.**

**Aiko's POV**

I can feel myself waking up, but don't open my eyes. I'm so comfortable. The bed is soft, the scent of wood smoke fills the air, the person next to me is so warm…wait. The person next to me?! My eyes pop open and dart around. I'm in Zuko's room, in Zuko's bed, in Zuko's arms. What! My mind races, trying to remember last night. Let's see, storm, crying, memories, and…Zuko…hugging me? Then I fell asleep. Well, there's no way to get out of this one. I'll just have to wait until he wakes up. Just then Zuko stirs. I freeze.

"Aiko. Would you like to tell me why you were crying last night?" he asks softly, sounding half-asleep. I stare straight ahead, and then sigh.

"I'm afraid of lightning. I have been ever since lightning struck my house, setting it on fire, and killing my mom," I say, biting my lip. No more tears.

"I'm sorry," Zuko says. There's a lull, and I think he's gone back to sleep. "My mom left when I was eleven," he says so quietly I can barely hear him. "I have no idea what happened to her."

"I'm sorry," I tell him. I know we're only being this caring because we're both still tired. We lay there, and I'm drifting back to dreamland when the door bursts open. I yelp, and Zuko and I jump apart. It's Iroh.

"Well doesn't someone look cozy?" Iroh chuckles.

"Ew, no!" I shout before racing out of the room. I don't stop running until I reach my own room and shut the door. I lean against the door and slide down the floor, thinking about what just happened. It's kind of frustrating, actually. I'm able to label Zuko as "bad," but then something like this happens, and he seems human again. So his father basically hates him, and his mother left him for some reason or the other. Well, no wonder he's so messed up.

I stay in my room until I can stop blushing every time I think about what happened. After what seems like forever, but is probably more along the lines of twenty minutes, I walk back out, only to notice that the hum of the engine is gone. I frown. We've stopped again? I don't want Zuko to capture Aang, but he's never going to catch up if we keep stopping. I head up to the deck where I see the sun nearly setting. Wow, I was asleep much longer than I thought. Looking over, I spot Iroh waving at a small skiff that's rowing to shore.

"Ah, you've finally recovered, have you?" he asks with a mischievous grin. I blush. Darn, I'd thought I was over that!

"Why have we stopped?" I say, avoiding his question.

"Zuko wanted to go look for news of the Avatar on land for a little bit," Iroh replies. Shading my eyes with my hand, I can just barely make out a lone figure in the boat.

"By himself?"

"Yes, he insisted," Iroh says with a frown.

"Where are we anyway?"

"Somewhere in the northern Earth Kingdom." I grin, peering at the smudge of shore in the distance.

"Wow, I've never been this far north before!" Iroh laughs at my reaction, and I stick my tongue out at him.

As our laughter dies down, Iroh's face turns solemn. "Aiko, what happened last night?" he asks gently. I frown and turn away.

"Don't' wanna talk about it," I mutter before walking off, heading below deck again. After two seconds of wandering (again), I realize my mistake. Iroh may be prying, but it's better than this. I'm so bored! I haven't been off the ship since my grand escape, and I'm going a little stir crazy. Walking past a door I hear loud cursing. I jump and look around. I realize I'm in the part of the ship that houses the crew. Tentatively, I knock on the door. A few moments later a man sticks his head out. He's very young, only about five years older than me. He has the typical black hair of the Fire Nation pulled into a topknot, and his amber eyes are clouded with frustration.

"What?" he snaps.

"Oh, um, hey. Ning right? I just wondering why you sounded so upset," I babble, trying to clear the tension in the air. Ning's face softens slightly.

"I'm trying to fix a tear in my uniform, but it always comes out sloppy looking," he says, looking down. My face lights up.

"I'll do it!" Ning looks at me strangely. "I know how to sew really well, and I'm really bored. Please?" I beg. He mulls it over for a few seconds, then grins.

"Yeah, sure. Let me just grab my uniform." He ducks back into his room, then reappears holding on of the red shirts everyone wears underneath their armor. "Here you go!" he says cheerfully, much happier now that he doesn't have to fix it himself. "And here's the needle and thread too." I take everything from his hands with a smile, and nearly sprint back to my room. Leaving the door open, I sit down against the wall and get to work. The tear is long, running across the front, and I wonder how in the world Ning managed to tear this. Threading the needle, I start making small, even stitches, focusing more on quality than speed. I'm about halfway done when someone knocks on the doorframe. Looking up, I see another soldier, Qiang I think. He's middle-aged, tall and strong, and I know he has a wife and three children back home.

"Yes?" I ask with a smile.

"Ning mentioned you were fixing his shirt, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind darning my pants," Qiang replies, holding out the article of clothing.

"Sure, it's not like I have anything better to do," I say with a shrug and a smile. I take the pants from him and sit back down. This pattern continues until I go to sleep; everyone from the helmsman Hai to even Iroh visiting me with something they want sewn.

The next morning I wake up bright and early with the sun. Looks like Fire Nation traditions are finally rubbing off on me. I pull my hair up and tuck it underneath a gray scarf that happened to be in my pocket when I was captured, preparing for a hard day's work. I grab my next repair job and gag, my eyes watering. Apparently a boatful of men can't be bothered to do their own laundry. Sighing, I gather all of the clothes into one giant bundle and head to the deck. I take a detour to the galley. Freeing one hand, I rummage around the shelves until I find a large pot. I set it in the sink and turn the nozzle for water. I move to grab the pot, but my bundle slips. Readjusting, I grab the pot and place it on my head so I can use both hands to carry the clothes.

I carefully continue to the deck, shifting my head every few seconds as the pot swayed from side to side. By the time I make it to the stairs my neck is sore. When I get to the top I set everything down with a sigh, rubbing my neck. I dash back down to the galley and grab some whetstones from a drawer. On my way to the deck, I grab Ning and drag him with me. When he protests, I give him a look.

We make it back up to my pile of clothes. "Here," I say, handing him the stones. "Heat these up them drop them in the pot. I need to go grab some soap!" I shout as I head below deck again. I really need to plan these things out more. After conducting yet another supply raid on the galley, I find Ning heating up the last stone. "Thanks," I say with a breathless grin as he finishes. He quickly walks off before I can get him to do anything else. I grab something from the top of the pile, which happens to be one of Iroh's robes. Just then I slap my hand against my forehead.

"Oh, icicle!" I exclaim.

"Looking for this?" a voice says. I glance up, startled. It's Zuko, holding out a washboard.

"Thanks," I say as I cautiously take it from him. I have no idea how he's going to react to what he told me yesterday morning.

"Why are you doing all of this?" he asks, gesturing at what I've laid out on the deck. I shrug.

"Well Ning needed help mending his shirt, and then everybody else had something to fix, and a lot of it stank, so I decided to wash everything," I explain. He nods. We sit there (or in his case stand) in awkward silence for a bit before he nods again.

"I have to go check with the helmsman, so…" he trails off, gesturing over his shoulder.

"Bye," I say with a forced smile. He wanders off and I get back to work, dunking the clothes in the water heated by the stones, soaping them up, scrubbing them, then rinsing and laying them out to dry. Several hours pass, and I'm almost done when a huge Fire Nation ship pulls up besides ours. Standing, I wipe the sweat from my forehead, and check to make my hair is all underneath my scarf. Three men board our ship.

I bow to them in the traditional Fire Nation way, my right hand extended upward over my left fist. "May I help you sirs?" I ask in a neutral tone.

"Where is Prince Zuko?" the one that seems to be in charge asks.

"I believe he is up with the helmsman," I reply, pointing the way. The soldier nods his thanks and heads in the direction my finger is pointing. I start mending Lieutenant Jee's pants. A few minutes later the soldiers get back on their ship and sail away, and Zuko storms past, trampling some of the drying clothes.

"Hey!" I shout. "Watch it!" He turns and growls at me. "Fine, be that way," I mutter. I rescrub the clothes Zuko got dirty, and seeing the stormy clouds, bend away the water so I can take them in. It's strange, we've stayed in the same spot ever since the Fire Nation ship stopped us. I fold everything neatly and carry it over so I'm underneath the helmsman's tower. I should go in because of the rain, but I'm enjoying the fresh air too much. Zuko comes back out, having changed out of his armor and into his training clothes. He starts throwing punches and kicks, sending bursts of flame through the air. Iroh steps out from below, frowning as he spots Zuko. They exchange words, Zuko's face flashing with hurt and defeat for a moment. He turns to the rail and Iroh sighs and walks off.

I put my mending aside and walk over to Zuko. I stare out over the water, mist rising up. Just then an idea hits me. I playfully bump Zuko with my shoulder.

"Hey, want to train with me?" I ask.

"Why would I do that?" he replies, frowning.

I scoff. "The only people you train against are firebenders. I happen to be not only a waterbender, but a highly skilled warrior with fans. Do you know how rare it is to train with a fan-user?" Zuko shrugs, but steps away from the rail. I grin and follow. We square off on opposite sides of the deck, me pulling out my fans. Zuko takes the first move, shooting three quick bursts of flame at me. I weave between them; then pull water over the side of the ship, sending a huge wave crashing towards him. He retaliates by sending a wall of flame to meet it, creating clouds of steam. I dash through them, bending the water droplets towards me so I can be seen. I sneak around behind Zuko, and put a fan to his neck.

"I win," I whisper in his ear. He jumps and turns around, shock spread across his face.

"Wha-? How did you-? But-?" he stutters. I laugh.

"See, when our two elements clash, yours disappears. Mine simply takes on another form. Steam," I explain, waving my hand through the air. He frowns.

"Again," Zuko says. I grin and take my spot. We spar all afternoon (me winning most of them), and don't stop until the sun is setting. When we finish, we're both panting and covered in sweat.

"You're better than I thought," Zuko comments.

"Gee, thanks," I say drily.

"Well, it was just really easy to take you out on Kyoshi, and then I've never really fought you until now," he rambles, realizing his mistake. I grin, then bend a ball of water over his head and drop it. He's soon soaking wet.

"What was that for?" he shouts, indignant. I giggle.

"You insulted me." Zuko starts running towards me, and I shriek and run in the opposite direction. Still laughing, I slam into someone. It's Qiang. "Oh sorry," I say. My smile fades as I notice his serious face. "Is something wrong?"

Zuko jogs up as Qiang speaks. "Admiral Zhao has captured the Avatar." My heart falls. In the background I can hear Zuko's raging. But what I hear most is my heartbeat, blood rushing through my ears. I can't believe this has happened. The Avatar, our last hope, is as good as gone. I'm snapped out of it when Zuko rushes past me, jostling my shoulder. I snap out of it. No matter what happens, even without the Avatar, the Fire Nation's reign will end. And I plan on helping. Zuko comes back on deck, carrying a rough burlap bag in one hand. He climbs down the ladder to where the men have just put the skiff he used yesterday into the water. I scramble down after him.

"Where are you going?" I ask him. Zuko ignores me, rowing towards land. "Fine. But you're going to take forever just rowing. Let me give you a boost." Balancing carefully, I take both hands of the rungs and move them forward, bending the water into a wave that carries the skiff towards shore. I repeat the motion until I can't make it out anymore; then climb back up the ladder. A few raindrops hit my skin, and I rush to grab the clothes and bet below before the sky falls out. I make it just in time, the deluge starting as soon as I'm done the stairs. I go to my room and start sewing again. I finish everything right as Iroh walks in.

"Aiko, we're having music night. Would you care to join us?" he asks kindly. I grin and nod. We walk together towards the deck, Iroh carrying his tsungi horn. "So, do you play any instruments?"

"No."

"Sing?" I snort.

"If by singing you mean wailing like a dying puma-cat, then yes."

"What do you do then?" he asks, curious.

"I dance," I reply with a smile. Iroh claps in delight.

"Oh, this is just perfect!" When we reach the deck, everyone is sitting around a fire, holding instruments, or warming up their voices. Some of them stare at me out of the corner of their eye, but most ignore me. As soon as Iroh sits down, they begin playing a fast and lively tune. I close my eyes and listen to the beat for a bit, then start dancing. I begin with a sped up training dance, then move on the creating my own dance, one with lots of leaps and twirls, which are my favorites. As the song ends I jump into a split, and land on my feet, head bowed, panting. There's silence, then clapping. I look up to see everyone's eyes directed at me as they applaud. I blush, embarrassed at the attention. Lieutenant Jee stands up as they start playing a slow song. I stand on the balls of my feet and take tiny steps, slowly moving my arms. Jee starts to sing.

"_Winter, spring,_

_Summer and fall._

_Winter, spring,_

_Summer and fall._

_Four seasons,_

_Four loves._

_Four seasons_

_For love."_

He repeats the lyrics over and over again as I twirl hypnotically, spotting to keep my balance. At the end of the song I get down on one knee, arms extended gracefully behind me. I stay like that for a moment, then get up and excuse myself to bed.

**ooooooo**

The next morning a loud rapping wakes me up. I open the door and see Zuko. He casually tosses the bag from yesterday into my room. Black material spills out of the top.

"Wash that," he orders. "I'm going to bed." I frown as he walks away, but get out the laundry supplies from the day before. I use my bending to heat the water this time, since I don't need the water hot for a long time. I quickly scrub the clothes, which consists of a black shirt, pants and hood, then draw the water out with my bending. I notice a few small tears, so I fix them. When I'm done, I fold everything neatly and head to Zuko's room.

I hesitate at the door, remembering him mentioning going to bed. Well he woke me up, so it's only fair if I return the favor. I knock lightly on the door. After a few seconds of no answer, I knock again, this time louder. Still now answer. Sighing, I lightly push open the door. Zuko is asleep, facing me. His face is surprisingly calm, almost happy. I gently set the clothes down on a small table. I head towards the door, but stop when the metal underneath my foot creaks loudly. I wince, and glance over my shoulder at Zuko. He stirs, propping himself on one forearm.

"Aiko? What are you doing here?" he asks, sitting up more. I blush and look away when I realize he's shirtless.

"Just delivering the clothes," I reply pointing to the table.

"Oh." He says softly. I stay there for a long time, but he doesn't say anything else. I start to walk to the door again, but Zuko's voice stops me. "Aiko?"

"Yes?"

"I can't go back to sleep. Come tell me a story." I overcome my embarrassment for a moment and stare at him, shocked. He scoots over and pats the spot on the bed next to him. I hesitantly sit down.

"Ummm…once upon a time, there was a man called Chin. He was known as Chin the Conqueror. His dream was to take over the entire Earth Kingdom. He was successful until he reached the Southern Peninsula. There, he met with Avatar Kyoshi, who lived on the peninsula. She refused to let him pass, saying that if he turned back, she wouldn't destroy him. Chin refused. Avatar Kyoshi used her earthbending to separate the Southern Peninsula from the main continent. Chin fell off the cliff, and died. Kyoshi formed a new island, named in honor of her. She founded the Kyoshi Warriors, and we continue on the traditions of her ideals: honor, heritage, and justice." When I finish I look down. Zuko is fast asleep. I smile gently. Hesitantly, I lightly run my fingers over his scar. The skin is tight, and smooth, but soft. Standing, I walk out of the room to go find Iroh.

**Soooo…whatd'ya think? Personally, I like it a lot. But I kind of have to since I'm the writer and all. Tell me what YOU think in a review!**


	11. Roadtrip

**Hey! I'm going to try to update every weekend now. That'll help if I don't have time to write since I'll try to build up a stockpile of chapters. That's about it. Read!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters. I just grow Miyuki plum blossoms.**

**Aiko's POV**

It's been almost a week since Admiral Zhao captured, and lost, Aang. They say a mysterious blue spirit helped release Aang. Those are just rumors, though. But if they're true, I want to meet the spirit and thank him. We've been heading to the North Pole, just taking a more roundabout way because of the blockade Admiral Zhao set. I've continued to do everyone's laundry/sewing. Another thing I'm continuing is training sessions with Zuko. He gets better with each one, beating me more and more often.

I'm on the deck washing clothes one day when a huge beast jumps on board. It's brown, furry, a long tail, and a black stripe down its back. The most impressive feature, though, is its long muzzle and huge nose on the end. A woman dressed all in black, with long black hair, red tattoos on her arms, and a whip is riding it. Soldiers rush forward, but jump back when the creature roars. I frown in concentration, I think I've heard of these. I believe they're called shirshus. They're nearly blind, but their sense of smell is amazing. They also have barbs on the tip of their tongues that hold poison that can paralyze you for up to an hour. Zuko and Iroh run up on deck.

"Get back!" the woman shouts. "We're after a stowaway!"

"There are no stowaways on my ship," Zuko replies. The shirshu tears a huge chunk of metal out of the deck and tosses it. I duck out of the way as it crashes on the other side. The shirshu sticks its head in the hole it just made. A few moments later, a man covered in dirt and wearing Earth Kingdom green jumps out of the hole and attempts to make a run for it. I feel slightly sorry for him, his face holds a look of pure terror. The shirshu stings him on the back of his neck with his tongue, and the man drops down, paralyzed.

"He's paralyzed," Zuko says in astonishment.

"Only temporarily," the woman says coolly as she lifts the man up. "The toxin wears off in an hour. But by then he'll be in jail and I'll have my money." She walks back to her shirshu.

"But how did you find him on my ship?" Zuko questions.

"My shirshu can smell a rat a continent away," she replies as she pats its side and mounts up.

"Well I'm impressed," Iroh comments in a tone that makes me think he's talking more about the woman than the shirshu. The woman cracks her whip, and the shirshu jumps off the ship and runs off. "Very impressed." Yup, he was definitely talking about the woman. I sigh as I gather the clothes and shake the dust from them. I'll have to rewash of all these. That evening I notice Iroh and Zuko getting ready to leave the ship. I bound over to them in several long strides.

"Where are you going?" I ask, curious.

"We're going to find that woman and make her pay for the damage to my ship," Zuko replies curtly.

"Oh can I come? Please please please please please please? I haven't been off the ship in forever. I promise I'll be good and I won't run away," I beg as I bounce up and down on the balls of my feet. Zuko looks like he's about to say no, but Iroh butts in.

"Of course Aiko!" he exclaims.

"Yay!"

"Fine," Zuko grumbles. "Just stop being so happy!" We head to shore, stopping people on the road to ask if they saw the mysterious woman and her shirshu. Finally, one woman with a baby says that she saw her passing by with the fugitive, and that she always celebrates at a nearby tavern called The Three Platypus Bears. The sun has set and the moon has come out when we reach the tavern, which we know is the right place because of the shirshu tied outside. I jump as a man comes flying through the wall above the door. Iroh and Zuko head straight in, but I pause to look at the shirshu. They're amazing animals, even if they do have a killer instinct. I walk in and immediately surrounded by a crowd that's mostly stinky, sweaty, and drunk men. I stand on my tiptoes to try and spot Zuko and Iroh in the crowd. Just then someone pinches my bottom. I yelp and spin around to find a man double my height with lots of muscles. He grins leeringly.

"Hey doll," he slurs. "Wanna get with a real man?"

"And who would that be?" I ask, peering around exaggeratingly. "Oh you mean you? Sorry, but I like my guys, younger, handsomer, and better than you." I turn on my heel to walk away, but he grabs my arm, an angry look on his face.

"Whatdya think you're talking about? No one is gonna love a freak like you!" Even though I've heard it a hundred times, his words still hurt. Anger surges through me, and I grab his arm, jam my hip into his side, and flip him. He looks up, surprised.

"I may be a freak, but at least I didn't get owned by a little girl," I snarl.

"Now that's my kind of girl," a voice says. I look up to see the woman in black, Zuko and Iroh trailing behind her. "Come on Mini Me, your friends were looking for you." I grin at the nickname and follow her outside. We stand by the shirshu.

"I need you to find someone," Zuko says, holding up Katara's necklace.

"What happened, your girlfriend run off on you? You okay with your boyfriend looking for his ex, Mini Me?" she asks, turning towards me.

"I'm not his girlfriend!" I shout right as Zuko says, "I'm not her boyfriend!"

"Suuuuure…." the woman says sarcastically.

"It's not the girl I'm after, it's the bald monk she's travelling with," Zuko states, quickly changing the topic.

"Whatever you say."

"If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship paid for," Zuko bargains.

She scoffs. "Forget it." She moves to mount up.

"Plus we'll pay your weight in gold," Iroh adds. She pauses, then walks back towards us.

"Make it your weight," she says, poking Iroh in the gut, "and we got a deal." Iroh bursts into laughter, and I giggle with him.

"You got it," he says.

"Get on," the woman says as she swipes the necklace out of Zuko's hand. She holds it in front of the shirshu's nose. It takes several deep sniffs before snuffling around the ground. It starts foaming at the mouth, and I quickly clamber onto the saddle, Iroh getting in front of me, and Zuko behind. She leaps up and grabs the reins as the shirshu takes off. It runs in great bounds, and I have to grab the saddle to keep from falling off.

"I'm falling off!" Zuko shouts, his voice choppy as he bounces up and down.

"Hang on to me!" I reply. He wraps his arms around my waist. The woman glances over her shoulder.

"Sure you aren't dating?" she questions.

"Yes!" we yell in unison.

"So what is your name anyway?" Iroh asks.

"I'm June, and this is Nyla. Now hush, I need to focus!" June replies. We travel through the night, me somehow falling asleep. When I wake up, we're by a crumbling building on a mountain. A woman in pale green with beautiful long white hair, and a cat who matches her mistress are picking herbs.

"Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?" she questions.

"We're looking for someone," Zuko states.

"I hope it's not Miyuki. Miyuki, did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation again?" she scolds. Miyuki just meows.

"The Avatar's been through here. Let's keep moving," June says impatiently, cracking her whip. Nyla takes off.

"Nice meeting you!" I shout over my shoulder. We ride for several more hours before stopping again. This time it's in a well-off village. We halt in front of a large building, an older woman wearing the prettiest yellow robe standing outside.

"Why are we stopping?" Zuko demands.

"Because the girl must have spent a lot of time here," June replies.

"We don't have time for this," Zuko says impatiently, jumping off Nyla. He grabs the necklace from June's hand and sticks it in front of Nyla's nose. She sniffs it before snapping out her tongue, Zuko ducking out of the way. "Hey watch it!" he shouts indignantly. Iroh chuckles.

"Oh look! She likes you," June comments. "Looks like you have a little competition, Mini Me," she adds with a wink.

"We're not dating!" Zuko and I shout together.

"Care to hear your fortune handsome?" the older woman asks Iroh.

"At my age there's only one big surprise left. And I'd just as soon let it be a mystery," he replies. Zuko jumps back on, and Nyla takes off again. It's nearly dusk by the time we stop, this time at a peaceful abbey, where nuns are stirring what looks like perfume. They gasp and back away at the sight of us.

"We're getting close," June says, cracking her whip yet again. Nyla runs out of a different gate than we came in. We gallop down a forest path. Nyla leaps over a bluff, and I spot Sokka and Katara, but no Aang. They back away from Nyla, Sokka stepping forward to shield his sister.

"Hey guys!" I say while waving.

"So this is your girlfriend. No wonder she left, she's way too pretty for you," June comments.

"Oh so you're saying I'm not pretty enough to be his girlfriend?" I ask indignantly.

June chuckles. "You have spunk. I like that." I scowl.

"You still didn't answer my question!"

Zuko hops off, impatient with our banter. "Where is he? Where's the Avatar?" he demands.

"We split up. He's long gone," Sokka replies.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Zuko asks.

"Pretty stupid. Run!" Sokka yells, grabbing Katara and bolting. They don't get far though. Nyla stings them with her tongue, and they fall to the ground. I jump off and run to their side.

"Sorry guys," I whisper.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Zuko says.

"It's seeking a different scent," June explains. "Perhaps something that the Avatar held." Nyla nudges Sokka's pack, and a paper falls out. She sniffs the air; then starts pawing at the ground. Hurriedly I drag Katara up, putting her arm around my shoulders. I hoist her up onto Nyla's back; then do the same with Sokka. I sit right in front of them, holding the backs of their shirts so they don't fall off. We take off, heading back to the abbey, crashing through the gate. Nuns run away screaming. Nyla walks around, smelling the air.

"What's it doing? It's just going in a circle," Zuko says harshly. Nyla tilts her head up, and I spot Aang swooping in on his glider. Yes! Nyla rears up, trying to reach him, and we all land on the ground. I groan. June snaps her whip and gets back on Nyla, chasing after Aang. Just when they're about to reach him, Appa smashes into Nyla, growling. Zuko steps forward to fight Aang, and I help the nuns drag Katara and Sokka out of harm's way. I watch Zuko and Aang out of the corner of my eye. Zuko's definitely improved. I'm starting to regret those training sessions now. The two create shields made of their elements and crash them together, making a huge explosion that sends them to opposite sides of the courtyard. I notice Nyla and Appa fighting again. Nyla gets him with her tongue, but Appa stands back up. I'm distracted by Zuko and Aang fighting on the rooftops.

I glance at Iroh, who just pocketed a bottle of over. Frowning I walk over and elbow him. "Pay for that!" I whisper. He grumbles, but places a few coins on the barrel where it had been resting. Nyla stings Appa several more times, and he falls to the ground, defeated. I rush over, and start to heal the marks, causing him to unsteadily rise to his feet. Just then my nose is assaulted by a cacophony of smells. I look over to where Katara is bending perfume at Nyla. Their plan works flawlessly, the smells drive the shirshu crazy, and she leaps over the walls of the abbey and runs off. I dash over to where Zuko, Iroh, and June are lying on the ground, having been stung by Nyla when she went crazy. I erase the toxin like I did for Appa, and they stand, groaning.

"Come on, we've got to go get Nyla," June says as she heads towards the gate.

"Why should we help her?" Zuko grumbles.

"You want to walk home?" I reply before following June.

**Review!**


	12. New Home

**Aiko's POV**

We've been sailing for several weeks now after meeting June and Nyla. The further north we get, the chillier it is. I managed to scrounge up an old white jacket from the supplies to wear. I also managed to scrounge up my first cold of the season. I'm lying on my bed sneezing and feeling sorry for myself when Iroh walks in carrying a tray.

"How are you feeling Aiko?" he asks.

"Fine," I say with a loud sniff.

"I brought you some tea," he says, setting down the tray next to me. "I'm about to head up to music night. Are you sure you don't want to join us?"

I grin. "Yeah. I think I'll just stay in here and try to get some extra sleep."

Iroh nods. "That is very wise. I shall see you in the morning." He walks out of the room, and I roll over to my side and try to go to sleep. My brain, however, won't cooperate. I toss and turn for a while, then sit up. Looking at the tray, I notice Iroh put two cups on it instead of one. Is he trying to give me a hint? Zuko and I haven't really spoken since last seeing Aang. Sighing, I decide that there's nothing else to do. I grab the tray and head to Zuko's room. Shifting my weight, I nudge the door open with my foot.

"What is it this time, Uncle?" Zuko grumbles from his position in the corner.

"Do I really look like an old man?" I ask. He looks up, startled.

"What do you want?" he growls.

"Can't someone bring their sort-of friend some hot tea?" I say, batting my eyelashes with an innocent grin. The effect is ruined when I sneeze twice in a row. Zuko doesn't say anything. "Spirits, it's dark in here," I comment. Setting the tray down on the table, I pick up the one lit candle and use the flame to light some lamps on the wall. "There, that's better!" I pick up the teapot and pour the dark liquid into the two cups, bringing them over to Zuko and handing him one. "So is this your angsting corner?" I joke.

Zuko looks up abruptly. "Why?"

"Why what?" I ask.

"Why are you always so…so…friendly!"

I laugh. "Is that all?"

"No. Why have you never tried to escape with the Avatar?" I look down.

"I…promised Aang something. And that involves staying." I look back up and smile. "Plus, I'd really miss Iroh!" Zuko actually cracks a smile. I nudge him with my foot. "Is that a _smile_ I see, mister?"

He scowls again. "No." I roll my eyes.

Just then there's a knock at the door. I jump to my feet as Iroh walks in.

"For the last time, I'm not playing the tsungi horn!" Zuko tells him.

"No, it's about our plans," Iroh replies. "There's a bit of a problem." He steps aside to allow a man with bushy sideburns and Fire Nation armor to come in.

"I'm taking your crew," the man says.

"What?!" Zuko exclaims as he leaps to his feet.

"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole," the man explains.

"Uncle, is that true?" Zuko asks tersely.

"I'm afraid so," Iroh says. "He's taking everyone, even the cook!" I giggle softly at Iroh's despair. The man turns towards me, looking me up and down.

"And who would you be?" he inquires. I bow.

"Aiko, sir. May I ask your name?"

"Admiral Zhao. It is a pleasure to meet you," he replies, taking my hand and bowing over it. I barely feel his lips brush my hand, and I just manage to suppress a shudder. Thankfully, he turns back to Zuko, and I wipe the hand he was holding on the back of my pants.

"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar," Zhao says, continuing the conversation from before, in a tone that says he's not all that sorry. "But I can't have you getting in my way again." Zuko growls and lunges at the man, but Iroh stops him. The man walks over to where Zuko has a pair of broadswords hanging on the wall. He reaches out and picks one up, swinging it through the air. "I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords Prince Zuko," he comments.

"I'm not," Zuko replies. "They're antiques. Just decorative."

"Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?" the man asks casually.

"Just rumors. I don't think he's real," Iroh says.

"He's real all right. A criminal. And an enemy to the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling that justice will catch up with him soon." He hands Iroh the sword and heads for the door. "General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands if you change your mind." He exits, leaving us alone in the room.

Zuko growls, turning to punch the wall. I wince at the sound.

"Prince Zuko…" Iroh starts.

"Just go," Zuko mutters. Iroh quickly leaves the room. I hesitate, then walk forward and place my hand on his shoulder.

"Zuko," I whisper.

"I said go!" he yells, flame shooting out of his hands. I back out of the room, hands raised in defense. As I walk down the hall, I hear the sound of a shattering teacup. Sighing, I shake my head and go back to my room. I lie down and try to fall asleep. Someone taps quietly on the door before opening it a crack. It's Iroh.

"I'm going for a walk, just wanted to let you know. The men said thank you for the clean clothes." I nod, sneeze, and roll back over. I'm just drifting off when there's a loud creak. My eyes shoot open, and I jump to my feet. I creep out of the room, ready to do battle.

"Iroh? Zuko?" I whisper. I head to the deck, where I spot the reptile bird from the pirates flying off. I gasp and run to the rail. Just as I leap over it, the ship explodes. I bend a bubble of water around me, blocking most of the flames. I fly through the air, landing in the water. I sink, momentarily stunned, before following the bubbles to the top. I break the surface, gasping for air. Kicking my legs, I stay afloat.

"Zuko?" I shout. "Zuko!" I swim around, trying to find him. I spot something pale floating in the water. Swimming over, I realize that it's Zuko, floating face down in the water. I roll him over, and grabbing his arm, bend the water to carry us to shore. As we get closer, I notice Iroh running towards us. I pull myself up onto the dock as Iroh reaches it. He helps me haul Zuko up onto it. I roll him onto his back and put my hand on his chest. He's not breathing! I calm myself down, and then carefully bend the water out of his nose. I release the tendril into the bay, then turn back to Zuko. He's still not breathing. "Come on Zuko. Don't make me give you mouth-to-mouth," I growl. As if on cue, his eyelids flutter open.

"Wha-what happened?" he breathed. Iroh grabs him in a big hug, and I hesitantly join in.

"Zuko! I was so worried!" Iroh exclaims. "Who did this?"

"The pirates," we say simultaneously.

"I'm going to sneak onto Zhao's ship," Zuko states. Iroh frowns.

"Then I suppose I will have to take up Zhao's offer to be his general."

"Can you get me a position too?" I ask. "A launderer, or a healer maybe."

"I don't know if that's such as good idea," Iroh replies.

I cross my arms. "Well you brought me this far, so you might as well take me along. I'm sure Admiral Zhao wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands on board." Iroh sighs.

"I'll see what I can do," he mumbles. I break into a grin.

"Thank you!" I exclaim. Iroh turns and helps Zuko up.

"Let's find an inn for the night. We'll get you on Zhao's ship in the morning," he says gently.

**Iroh's POV**

I sit across from Admiral Zhao in his tent, sipping tea, and pretending to be mourning my nephew.

"I'm devastated to hear about Prince Zuko, just devastated," he comments.

"The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he finds out who is responsible," I reply.

"You know who is behind the attack?" Zhao asks.

"Yes. Pirates. We had a run-in with them a while back. They wanted revenge."

"So, have you reconsidered my offer?" Zhao says before I can.

"Yes. I accept. It will be an honor to serve as your general," I state. "To the Fire Nation," I toast.

"To victory!" Zhao exclaims. We both take long sips of our tea. Setting my cup down, I look at Zhao.

"There is one matter I'd like to discuss. The girl you met, Aiko, I was wondering if you would offer a position as well. She was working as a launderer on our ship, but she also has extensive healing abilities. I would hate to leave her so far from her home," I say, choosing my words carefully. A certain glint comes into Zhao's eyes.

"I'm sure I can find a spot for her somewhere," he replies smoothly. I nod my thanks, but inside I have a moment of uneasiness. I noticed how Zhao looked at her on our now destroyed ship, but I suppose Aiko can take care of herself.


	13. Surprise!

**Well here's the new chapter! Can you believe that we're almost done with Book One? Crazy right?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or its characters. I just give Ba Sing Se immigration officers hospitality seminars….they haven't worked yet.**

**Aiko's POV**

I walk with Iroh down a long, narrow hall. We're both on Zhao's ship, ready to start our jobs as general and healer. The soldier leading us takes us to Admiral Zhao's office. We step in, and Zhao looks up from his papers. "Ah. General Iroh. And Aiko." The three of us bow to each other. Straightening, Zhao addresses Iroh. "I'll be needing you in the war room shortly." He turns towards me. "Now, Aiko. How long have you trained as a healer?"

"Eight years sir," I answer truthfully. Learning to work with herbs in the art of healing is a requirement for Kyoshi warriors, even if they are waterbenders.

"Excellent. Hotaru will lead you to our infirmary," Zhao gestures to the soldier who lead us here. I follow him out of the room. We walk in silence for a few moments before I decide to speak.

"So how many healers are there on this ship?" I ask.

"You're the only one," Hotaru replies stiffly. I'm shocked.

"Really? Why?"

"Our previous healer, Ren, finished his term and went back to the homeland. Right before we left for the invasion, too. That's the only reason we took you on."

"So you think women aren't good enough healers?" I say, fighting to keep my voice and face neutral.

"Not only are they not good enough, they're bad luck too!" he snaps, spinning around and pointing at me. "Women harbor bad luck on ships! And you're extra evil! Just look at your hair color!"

I set my jaw. "Well then. I shall just have to work twice as hard to gain your trust. Now take me to the infirmary." I see Hotaru hesitate. "_Now_." He nods, and leads me down the hall. Stopping at a door, he points to it.

"That's the infirmary. Your room is attached. Good day." He nods stiffly and walks off. I slowly open the door, looking at what will be my new home. There's a row of small cots down each wall, about fifteen on each side. Small tables are beside them, I suppose for medicine and such. On the opposite side of the room is another door. I head down the room and open it. It's a much smaller room, I suppose my bedroom. There's a cot, a small table beside it, and chest of drawers, and a desk and chair. With all this furniture, it makes it hard to move around. A door stands off to the side. Opening it, I discover the medical supplies. Herbs hang in bunches from the ceiling, or in jars on the shelves. There's also basic supplies such as gauze and wood for splints, along with several spools of thread for stitches. Everything is labeled neatly, and I thank Ren, whoever he is. I walk back into the infirmary. Someone bursts in, supporting a soldier.

"What is it?" I ask, running forward.

"I don't know, he just collapsed at dinner!" his friend exclaims. I help him put the soldier onto the nearest cart. I feel his forehead with the back of my hand, it's quite warm. An idea forms in my mind. Pulling open his lips, I poke his gums with my finger. They're spongy, and he moans slightly at my touch. Hastily, I tug off his boots and pull up his pants leg. There are numerous spots on his legs.

"He has scurvy!" I declare triumphantly. Running back to the closet, I scan the shelves until I find what I'm looking for. Grabbing the jar of mango powder, a spoon, and a bell, I dash back to the soldiers. Setting down the powder and spoon, I ring the bell right in the sick soldier's ear. His eyes shoot open.

"Huh? Where am I?"

"The infirmary," I say. "Now take this," I instruct, giving him the spoon filled with mango powder. The soldier does as I say. "What's your name?"

"Jian," he mutters.

"Well, Jian, it looks like you have scurvy. You're going to have to stay in here for a few days, but after that you'll be fine. Don't you get fresh fruit?" I frown.

"No. Only the admiral and the higher ranking officers get that," Jian replies. My frown deepens.

"We'll see about that," I mutter. I turn to Jian's friend. "Will you escort me to Admiral Zhao's office? I still have a hard time getting around," I ask with a sweet grin. Although he seems reluctant to leave Jian, the soldier agrees. I estimate we're about halfway to Zhao's office when we meet up with him and Iroh in the hallway.

"Aiko. What can I do for you?" Zhao asks. I motion to the soldier that he can leave. He walks off quickly, and I turn back to Zhao.

"I'd like the men to have fresh fruit. Or potatoes, cabbages, and broccoli. But they're low on vitamin C, and coming down with scurvy." Zhao nods thoughtfully.

"I will see what I can do," he says.

"May Aiko and I have a moment alone?" Iroh pipes up. "I'd like to see how she's adjusting." Zhao nods his consent and walks off, Iroh and I walking the other way.

"When are we going to get to the North Pole?" I whisper.

"Soon. I suppose in about a week or so."

"What's Zuko going to do?"

Iroh sighs. "I don't know. He has this idea that he'll be able to find the Avatar before Zhao does. I don't suppose you'd like to accompany him?" He looks up hopefully. I shake my head.

"No. It's been bad enough at our other dealings with Aang. I'd have no idea what to do with such a direct encounter." Iroh nods.

"I understand. Just think about it will you?"

"Alright. I'd better get back to the infirmary." Iroh nods, and we walk off in opposite directions. As soon as I get back, another soldier walks in, this time with a broken arm. The whole week continues like this, me curing colds, stitching up gashes, and feeding the soldiers lots of mango powder for scurvy. It's been five days when Hotaru walks in, supporting a soldier. I walk over as he places him on a cot.

"What happened?" I inquire.

"He was on guard duty last night. He had been sick, but insisted on going. Can you help him?" I look at his friend.

"I'll try my best. Now please leave. I don't want you getting sick too," I say, escorting Hotaru to the door. As soon as he's gone, I turn around and examine his friend. It looks like he has a mild case of pneumonia. First things first. I go to the supply closet and get willow bark and rose hips. Setting up two different pots, I use my bending to bring the water to a boil, then allow the ingredients to steep. Grabbing cups, I carry it all over to the soldier. By this time, he's stirring.

"Where am I?" he asks groggily.

"The infirmary. Your friend Hotaru brought you here. What's your name?"

"It's Ah," he replies.

"Well, Ah, I need you to drink these teas. Willow bark for pain and fever, and rose hips for your sinuses." He follows my orders while I pile blankets on top of him.

"It's to sweat the fever out," I tell him. Soon he falls back asleep. I drag the chair from my room to his bedside so I can keep an eye on him. Somehow I manage to doze off while sitting up.

**oooooooooooo**

_I'm running through the rain, trying to find shelter. I slip and fall in the mud, stumbling to my feet and continuing on. Lightning crashes around me, making me flinch. Up ahead I see a cave with a warm glow coming out of it. This is what I need, but my feet slow. My stomach rolls, and I want to turn back. But something pulls me forwards. Unwillingly, I walk to the entrance of the cave and peer in. Inside is Zhao. He grins at me and steps aside, revealing my mother's broken and bloodied body. I scream as he lunges towards me._

**oooooooooooo**

I wake up to the sound of harsh coughing. Startled, I think I'm still in that horrid cave for a moment before realizing it was just a dream. I look down at Ah, the source of the coughing. I gasp. His face is slowly turning blue as he clutches his throat, trying to get air. Shoving hard, I roll him over to his side, but that doesn't work. I quickly bend leftover tea and place it over his chest, where his lungs would be. I activate the healing powers in the tea, hoping the water in it will be enough to stop the coughing. Slowly, Ah's breathing returns to normal, and his eyes flutter shut. Just then the door bursts open, and I drop the tea on the floor in surprise. It's Hotaru, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I heard coughing, what happened?" he demands.

"I dozed off and when I woke up to Ah coughing, I jumped and spilled tea. He's fine now, I just had to roll him over," I reply with a grin, hoping that he didn't see me bending. Hotaru nods, but I can tell he doesn't completely believe me. "Well, if that's all, I think you should try to get some sleep. Busy day tomorrow," I say with the fake smile still plastered on. After agonizing moments, Hotaru nods and walks out of the room. As soon as the door closes, I slump in my chair with a sigh of relief, vowing to stay up the rest of the night. It's not like I could get any sleep anyway.

Ah wakes up around noon. I give a tired grin.

"And how is our favorite patient feeling?" I tease.

"Much better," Ah responds with a feeble smile.

"Hungry?" Ah nods eagerly. I laugh. "Well the galley sent up some food this morning. It's covered, so it shouldn't be too cold." I help him sit up, propping him against the wall. Setting the tray on his lap, I take off the cover. A thin stream of steam rises up, testifying that it's still warm. "Oh look, bean soup!" I exclaim. Ah eats hungrily.

"Aren you gon ea somen?" he asks around a spoonful of food.

"Nah, I already ate," I reply, gesturing at the leftover dishes from my meal. He finishes eating while I complete his examination. "Good. I think the worst is over. You should get some more rest." Ah obediently lies back down, closing his eyes. His breathing evens out as he goes back to sleep. I gather the teapots and cups from last night and carry them back to my room. Rummaging around in the supply closet, I find a small cauldron that I suppose Ren used to was bandages and sheets. Pouring water into it from the jug on my desk, I bring it to a boil with my bending. I grab a scrap of cloth and soap and start scrubbing the dishes. I've finished up and put everything away when I hear someone walk in. Spinning around, I see Hotaru leaning against my doorframe.

"Oh, are you here to check on Ah?" I ask with a smile. "He's doing quite well, should be better in about a week or so."

"Actually, I'm here about you," Hotaru states, pushing off from the doorframe and taking a few steps towards me. "We both know you're a waterbender." I open my mouth to protest. "Don't deny it. I saw you bending that tea last night."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Like I said, I accidentally spilled the tea," I say calmly, trying to hide my panic.

"I think you do. But don't worry, I won't tell….if you do something for me," Hotaru leers, moving even closer. My hands itch to grab my fans and teach him a lesson, but I resist.

"And what would that be?" I state, taking a few steps back. He lunges forward and smashes his lips against mine. I stumble back until I'm pressed against a wall. I squirm, trying to get away, but Hotaru just presses his body closer to mine. I make myself wait for the right moment to strike, as much as I despise it. As his hands slowly creep up my ribcage, his jams his tongue in my mouth. I smile inwardly, and bite down. Hard. He yowls, pulling back. I punch him in the stomach. While he's doubled over, I pull out an unfolded fan and bring butt of it down on his head. He promptly passes out. Sighing, I drag him over to a cot in the infirmary, across from Ah, who managed to sleep through it all. I set him down roughly and spit over my shoulder, trying to get the taste out of my mouth. Someone clears their throat at the door. For the second time that day, I spin around to see a soldier standing at the door.

"Um, may I help you?" I ask, looking him up and down. He doesn't look sick or injured.

"Admiral Zhao would like to see you," he replies.

"Oh, of course!" I say. The soldier takes me to Zhao's office, stopping outside the door. I straighten my clothes before knocking.

"You may enter!" Zhao shouts. I open the door and step in, carefully closing it behind me.

"You asked for me, Admiral Zhao?" I say as I bow.

"Yes, I wanted to inform you that we have reached the North Pole. And I wanted to know what you would like to do after the invasion," he replied. I frown, thinking.

"I suppose I shall continue on with General Iroh, if he will allow me. Either that or travel until I find a place I like."

"Well, my dear, I'd like to offer you a position as my _personal_ assistant. I assure you the benefits are quite large," Zhao grins. I hesitate, not wanting to blurt out that he's a creepy old man for whom I would never work for. "Take your time to think about it. You still have a few days while we finish invading." I nod politely and back out of the room. As soon as I'm out, I take off running. I race to where I know Zuko is leaving, Iroh having made me memorize the route a few days ago in case I changed my mind. I burst into the tiny room right as Zuko gets into the small kayak he's taking.

"I'm coming with you!" I exclaim.

"What? Why? I don't want you along!" Zuko protests.

"Well too bad. I refuse to stay on this ship with the crazy men that just see my 'physical attributes!' Bunch of freaks!" I rant.

"What happened Aiko?" Iroh asks, concerned.

"Well Hotaru caught me waterbending and thought he get something out of me for that, and no sooner did I knock him out, Zhao calls me to his office and offers to let me be his _personal assistant_." I quickly explain.

"How will you even come with me?" Zuko butts in. "This is a one-person boat." I wave my hand through the air, dismissing the problem.

"There's something I've been wanting to try out." Bending water up to our level, I make it into a board shape with rounded ends, then freeze it. I lower it to the floor and step on. Moving my arms, I raise it and float around the room. "There, problem solved!" I say with a grin. Zuko grumbles, but can't find anything else to protest. He prepares to lower the kayak, and I float out to join him.

"Remember your breath of fire! It could save your life out there!" Iroh calls out, stepping forward to watch us.

"I will," Zuko replies calmly.

"And put you hood up, keep your ears warm!" Iroh shouts down to us.

"I'll be fine!" Zuko says.

"And if you get to cold, snuggle together for body warmth!" Iroh adds with a grin.

"No!" Zuko and I yell simultaneously. The kayak hits the water, making a small splashing sound. I sit cross-legged on the board and float circles around Zuko's head as he starts paddling.

"Will you stop that?" he grumbles. "Someone's going to notice."

"Fine," I mutter, and bring the board down to where it's floating on the water. I use my bending to keep up with Zuko. We sail in silence until we reach the icy land in front of the wall. Zuko drags the kayak onto shore while I release the ice board into the ocean, melting it into water. I look up to see Zuko plunge into a seal turtle hole. I quickly scurry after him, bending a bubble of air around my head. We swim through a tunnel, surfacing in the seal turtle's den. They immediately start barking, at least until Zuko yells at them to shut up. He blows fire to warm up while I bend the freezing water out of my clothes. Zuko walks over to a stream of water coming out of a hole in the wall. He can't be serious. He crawls into the hole, going against the water's flow. I sigh and follow, using my bending to slide the water around me.

The end of the tunnel opens into a chasm filled with water, and I turn my free area back into a bubble. Zuko swims over to an opening in the wall and goes through, and I swim after him. At the top the entrance is blocked by ice. I'm about to make Zuko move over so I can bend an opening when he heats up his hands and melts the ice. I crawl out after him. We're in some sort of pipe, maybe for the sewage system, although it's very clean. I follow Zuko through the city. I think he's making his way to the back, although I don't know why. We end up at a wall with a small, round wooden door in it. Zuko races in while I follow more slowly. I spot him fighting Katara, and rush forward to help her. But as soon as my foot touches the grass (why is there grass in the Northern Water Tribe?) I pass out.

I open my eyes and look around. I'm lying on my back in a shallow pool of water in what looks like a swamp. Groaning I stand up and attempt to bend the water off of me. It doesn't work. Frowning, I try again, with the same result. A thought hits me. "I'm in the spirit world!" I breathe.

"Aiko," a voice says right in my ear. I jump and twirl around, fans out. What the voice came out of is surprisingly familiar. Pale skin, gray eyes, golden hair…

"….Dad?"

**You didn't think I would just have her hang in the background of yet another fight did you? Of course not! Not when we can have some quality bonding time! But there's one matter I'd like to discuss. A lot of people (you know who you are) have been following or favoriting this story, but not reviewing. As much as I appreciate that, I like reviews even more. I understand that some of you probably didn't have time to, but I doubt all of you didn't. But thanks to all of my faithful reviewers! So, um, review!**


	14. Dad?

**Hey guys! Look! It's the last chapter of Book One! Whoo whoo! Well, I'm not going to keep you any longer from the daddy/daughter fluff, so I'll stop talking now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or its characters. I just plot the demise of M. Shyamalan. What do you think: frying pan or civics textbook?**

**Aiko's POV**

I stare in amazement at that man who sired me. He laughs, a deep belly laugh that I immediately love.

"Maybe we should sit down," he suggest, gesturing at two stumps I'm positive weren't there before. "So how's your mother?" he asks casually once we're seated. My eyes sting with tears, and I swipe them away with the back of my hand. He frowns. "What is it? Did something happen?" I take a shaky breath.

"Mom died in a house fire when I was nine," I whisper softly. Dad's face crumbles, and he pulls me into a hug.

"I'm so sorry dear. I didn't know. I wasn't able to know. You were so far from the Northern Water Tribe. I know Akemi wanted to keep you safe, and I agree….but I missed out on so much." He squeezes tighter, and I hug him back. He finally releases me and we go back to our seats. "So what's been going on?"

"It's a long story," I sigh.

"I have a way," Dad says cautiously. "I can access your memories, if you let me." I hesitate, then nod. He reaches out and places his hand on my forehead. I feel someone entering my mind, and I can't suppress a shudder. The presence withdraws, and Dad leans back. "That's an awful lot to happen to someone who's only sixteen," he comments.

"I blame you," I say with a smile so he knows I'm joking.

"I thought your heritage would give you some problems," Dad replied, running his hands through his short hair. I shrug.

"I'd rather them than someone else's problems." Just then the ground shudders, and I gasp, feeling dizzy. Dad looks up, frowning.

"I'm sorry dear, but I have to send you back. You're needed. Continue on with the path you have chosen." I nod, and pull him in for one last hug. He releases me after a few moments. "I have something for you." Dad digs into his pocket, and pulls out a bracelet. It's made of woven thread, with a small pearl somehow set in the center. He gently takes my arm and ties it around my wrist. "It doesn't do anything, but I thought you might like it," he adds with a sheepish grin.

"I love it," I reply.

"I'm going to send you back now." A wind picks up, gentle at first, but slowly gaining strength. "Oh, and that firebender's a keeper! Just tell him that I'll come after him if he so much as harms a hair on your head!" Dad shouts over the wind.

"We're not dating!" I growl right before a bright light envelopes me.

I open my eyes. I'm lying on my back in the spot where Zuko and Katara were fighting. Someone's dragged me out of the way to a small gathering of trees. I look up, and notice that the moon is blood red, giving everything an eerie glow. Quietly sitting up, I spot Zhao holding a wriggling bag. I'd give everything to say this is his fault. Growling, I attempt to bring a wave of water down on his head, but nothing happens. It probably has something to do with the moon. I pull out my fans and run forward. Soldiers step in front of him, shooting bursts of flame at me. I flip over their heads, landing in a crouch.

"I wouldn't do that dear," Zhao warns. "After all, I have the moon spirit right here." He lifts up the sack. I gasp. "Now drop your weapons." Slowly, I let my fans slip out of my hands to the ground. Soldiers come up behind me and secure my arms behind my back. Zhao chuckles, stepping forward to run his finger down my cheek. "Poor Aiko. Maybe now you'll take up my offer." His finger lingers on my lips, and I lunge with a snarl, attempting to bite it. The soldiers yank me back though. "You'll be punished for that girl," Zhao threatens. I step back, Zhao following to slap me. I slam my head against a column, and that's all I remember for a long time.

I wake up to Iroh a few inches from my face.

"Gah!" I yell while scrambling backwards. Iroh leans down to help me to feet.

"Come on dear, we must hurry and find Zuko to leave before we are discovered." I take his hand and stand. I feel a wave of nausea and groan. "What's the matter?" Iroh asks with a concerned look.

"Nothing. I just need to start wearing a helmet." He chuckles at that, and we quickly leave the grassy area. We hurry down streets, taking random turns until we meet up with Zuko.

"There you are!" Iroh exclaims.

"Now what?" Zuko asks.

"Oh! I know!" I say triumphantly. The two firebenders look at me expectantly. "There's an area where they keep boats to send the exiles off on! No one should be there right now. Come on!" I take off running, Zuko easily keeping pace, and Iroh huffing and puffing behind us. We run for a few minutes until we reach a small cove with rafts lined up along the shore.

"This is a boat?" Zuko asks with a deadpan face.

"So I may have exaggerated a little. But I'd like to see you come up with a better idea!" I retorted, placing my hands on my hips.

"There is no time for fighting," Iroh says as he steps between us. "Get on the boat!" I stick my tongue out at Zuko before following Iroh onto the boat. Zuko climbs on, and I start bending the water around us. Humming under my breath, I block out Zuko and Iroh's conversation to give them a little privacy. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Zuko lie down and Iroh walk over to me. We sit in silence as the moon slowly follows its path through the sky.

**Well, this has been the season finale. So, I'm going to take a short two week break so I can work on my other stories. Because I have been seriously ignoring them. But two weeks from now, I'll pick right back up. I've already written the chapter and everything. I just don't want to deplete my stockpile while I'm not adding to it. Review!**


	15. Rest and Relaxation

**Hey guys…./weak smile/…..yeah…I know I said four weeks… and it's been two months…and I have no excuses except the usual….so I give you all thirty seconds to send your bending, swords, boomerangs, fans, knives, chi blocking, and any other ATLA-specific weapon at me. Have fun! /starts bobbing and weaving/**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, but I am the proud owner of an 89 on my civics midterm!**

**Aiko's POV**

A few days ago we arrived at a spa hotel thing, situated at the edge of a waterfall. I found it odd that the people there let us in without question, at least until I remembered that Iroh and Zuko were royalty. Now we're relaxing after our long, hard journey. Iroh is getting a massage while Zuko and I sit across from each other, him pouting, me toying with the bracelet Dad gave me. Iroh sighs in enjoyment.

"This is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?"

"First off," I state, "it would have been a lot longer than three weeks if you hadn't had me. Second, I caught fish and purified water for you. And for the last time, the sea vultures were just after the fish!"

"You're right Aiko," Iroh apologizes. "Let's not fight, it's too peaceful for that." I shoot him a smile in return. Iroh glances at Zuko and stands up, walking over to him. "I see. It's the anniversary isn't it?" Zuko cuts his eyes to me, but I pretend not to be listening.

"Three years ago today, I was banished. I lost it all. I want it back. I want the Avatar. I want my honor, my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless," Zuko spills out.

"I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Iroh asks, trying to cheer him up. I resist the urge to slap some sense into him, settling instead for a sigh. Zuko stands and walks off. "That came off wrong didn't it?" Iroh comments.

"You don't say?" I reply sarcastically. Running to catch up with Zuko, I grab his arm. "Come on, let's go to the beach." Before he can protest, I'm dragging him down the path to the seaside where we landed a few days ago. I let go of Zuko's arm when I reach the edge of the sand. Reaching down, I splash him with water. He recoils, then steps forward and splashes me back. Laughing, I bend a giant wave of water at him. In retaliation, he picks me up and tosses me into the water. I stay under until he walks in, then I pull his legs out from underneath him. He falls in the water, and I pop up, laughing. He splutters to the top, spitting out water. I bump him with my shoulder. He nudges me back. With a loud sloshing sound I stand up, Zuko following suit. I bend the water out of our clothes, and we collapse on the sand. I stare at the sun until my eyes hurt, then look at Zuko, blinking away spots.

"You're not worthless you know."

"How would you know?" Zuko spits out bitterly.

"I've never met anyone else more determined than you. You're willing to take risks, and you keep your focus on your goal." Zuko is silent for a long time. I fiddle with my bracelet, which has quickly become a nervous habit for me. Reaching over, he takes my hand, looking at the bracelet. It's only then that I realize it's on my left wrist, the one he burned. The bracelet bisects the scar almost perfectly. Zuko rubs the smooth skin with his thumb, a look of concentration in his eyes.

"Where did you get this?" he inquires, thumb on my bracelet.

I frown. "Didn't I tell you? At the North Pole I went into the Spirit World and met my dad. We talked, and he gave me this."

"Did he say anything about me?" Zuko smirks.

"Maaaaybe," I reply, drawing out the long "a" sound. Just then Iroh joins us.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" he asks innocently. Zuko and I roll apart, popping up into a standing position. Satisfied with making us blush, Iroh starts searching for seashells. With nothing else to do, I play with a small strand of water, making it into different shapes. I do an ostrich horse, a turtle duck, and a panda puppy, before I finally settle on a rose. I pay careful attention to each petal before freezing it. With an elaborate bow, I present it to Zuko. He takes it cautiously.

"Isn't the guy supposed to give the girl flowers?" he jokes. My eyes widen at what he said, and I feel myself blush. Zuko turns red as well.

"Awwww…it's so cute!" Iroh exclaims. Zuko and I jump apart, the rose flying into the ocean.

"We're not dating!" we shout simultaneously. Iroh chuckles and brushes sand off of his robes.

"I'm going back to our rooms. Anyone else coming?" he asks. Zuko stands.

"I am."

"I'll stay on the beach for a little while longer," I tell them. Iroh nods, and the two of them start walking up the cliff path. I stand and wade into the water, stopping when it's almost to my knees. I let the water lap at me for a while before bending up a stream of water. I take it back to shore where I start dancing, using it as a streamer. I end up spinning in a circle, twirling it behind me until I fall down from dizziness. I laugh from the sheer joy of it all. I close my eyes, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing soothingly onto the shore.

When I wake up, the sun has set and the moon has come out. I shiver in the sea breeze. Standing up, I shake off as much excess sand as I can. I walk up the cliff path, stumbling over rocks in the dark. I finally make it back to the hotel. I head towards Iroh's and Zuko's room to tell them that I'm back. When I enter, I can immediately sense the tension in the air.

"What happened?" I ask, deciding to cut to the chase.

"Princess Azula has come with an offer to take us back to the Fire Nation," Iroh finally replies.

I paste on a smile. "That's great! Well, I'm going to bed. Good night!" I walk off into the dark. When I reach my room I slowly sit down on the bed. I know they're going to go back. I could tell from the look in Zuko's eyes that he had made up his mind, and Iroh will go anywhere Zuko does, to protect him. I sigh and lay down. I suppose I could try to go back to Kyoshi. Rolling over to my side, I quickly fall asleep.

The next morning I wake up early to bid Iroh and Zuko farewell. When I reach their room, I find that only Iroh is there, Zuko having left just a few minutes ago. Iroh is packing.

"Are you sure you won't come?" he questions while gently placing his seashells in the bag.

"I wasn't invited. And I would have to hide my waterbending in the Fire Nation. I can't give up such an important part of myself," I say with a sad smile.

"Well then, may the spirits bless you in your travels," Iroh says.

"And you as well," I reply. We hug, and I watch him walk off before turning and following the river upstream. I've stopped to eat a quick breakfast when I hear a loud boom. On a hunch, I hide in the trees, waiting. Very soon, Iroh and Zuko come running around the bend. I can't make out what they say, but Zuko pulls out a knife and cuts off his ponytail. He passes the knife to Iroh, who cuts off his topknot. They release the hair into the river, watching the bundles drift away. I walk over and tap them both on the shoulders.

"Hey guys!" I say cheerfully, ducking under a spout of flame from Zuko.

"Don't sneak up on us!" he shouts.

"Aiko! You found us!" Iroh says joyfully.

"Yup! You guys ready to hit the road again?" I ask. Zuko storms off ahead of us.

"What happened?" I whisper to Iroh once Zuko is far enough ahead.

"It was a trap. We're wanted by the Fire Nation now," he whispers back. I frown, then skip ahead to where Zuko is walking to snap him out of it.

"I hate to point this out….but….you look really funny with just that little diamond patch of hair!" I tell him. Zuko growls in frustration, but slows down enough to where the three of us can walk together.

** Yeah, I know, kinda short for being gone two months…but I like to take the episodes one at a time…so yeah. Hope you enjoyed the fluff, and review!**


	16. A Long Road Ahead

**Hey guys! I actually managed to finish this chapter today. Now I have zero chapters stockpiled. Eep! Looks like I'll be writing tomorrow. Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters. I just replanted to forest for Hei Bei.**

It has been several weeks since Zuko's and Iroh's run-in with Princess Azula, long enough for Zuko to grow a thin coating of hair, which has improved his appearance greatly. We've been living as fugitives, avoiding all civilization. That being said, it makes it harder to find food. This morning I volunteered to go look for roots and berries to eat. It's been several hours, and I've gathered an armful of edible plants. Looking down at the makeshift basket that's my shirt held out in front of me, I decide that it's less of an armful, and more of a handful. A handful and a half? Well we're just coming out of winter, so it's the best I can do. Sighing, I make my way back to camp, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the trees. It takes about ten minutes to walk back, since I didn't go very far. I didn't want to get lost. When I get there, I find that nothing is there, not even our meager supplies, except for a note stuck to a tree with a stick.

I tear the paper off and read the messy scrawl that I recognize as Zuko's. It appears that Iroh drank a poisonous plant, and Zuko took him to the nearby Earth Kingdom village. Either that or a platypus penguin dined with them on ostrich zebra and they then navigated an elephant koi's trip to a volcano. Shaking my head at Iroh's antics (and Zuko's handwriting), I take the short walk to the village. Asking around, I finally find the healer's. Sticking my head in, I spot Iroh being smeared with a light green salve by a girl a few years older than me, I think, in a pink-toned _hanbok_, and Zuko standing off to the side.

"There you are!" I exclaim.

"Look, _Lee_, it's our friend Aiko!" Iroh states. I guess that they've hidden their real identities. The girl healer sets down the jar of salve.

"Hello. My name is Song," she says in a sweet voice.

"Aiko. Nice to meet you," I reply.

"How do you know Mushi and Lee?" she inquires.

"I met them after Mushi got into some poison oak. I'm a waterbender, so I healed him."

"So he does things like this quite often?" Song asks with a smile.

"Very often. He's like a child," I reply. We share a laugh, ignoring Iroh's protests. "So do you mind if I heal him? It will be a lot quicker." Song nods, and brings me a fresh pot of water. I bend the water out and activate the healing powers, holding it over Iroh's rash. Once all the red is gone, I place it back in the pot.

"So before you came, I was offering Mushi and Lee a place to eat dinner. Would you like to join us?" Song asks. My stomach growls embarrassingly loud, and she giggles.

"Most definitely!" I tell her. The four of us walk to Song's house, where her mother greets us at the door, introducing herself as Harmony. You can tell that she's Song's mother. She leads us to a table laden with food, much more than two people could ever eat. We all sit down. I load my plate down and eat as quickly as possible while still maintaining politeness. The food is delicious, and I help myself to seconds. I'm snapped out of my food haze when Harmony asks me a question.

"Ma'am?" I ask, looking up.

"I asked where you are from?" she repeats with a kind smile. I wipe my mouth.

"Kyoshi Island."

"How did you get way over here?"

"Well I was a Kyoshi warrior, and we were going to help out with the war. But on our way to the Earth King, we ran into some Fire Nation soldiers and I got separated from them during the fight. I knew they were headed to Ba Sing Se, so I went in that direction. And then I met up with Mushi and Lee along the way," I tell her. I have gotten way to good at lying recently.

"Oh that's interesting! I think we may have some relations on Kyoshi," Harmony says with a smile. "They moved there for their son's health, apparently he has fits," he voice lowering to a whisper at the end.

"Really? I think I may know them, or the son at least," I muse. Thankfully, Harmony turns to Iroh to make conversation, and I can go back to eating. Soon I'm full, and by the looks of it so is everyone else. Except for Iroh, who keeps getting one more slice of roast duck. Harmony and Song silently get up and picking up empty plates and bowls, leaving through a sliding door. Grabbing my own load of dishes, I follow them into a modestly sized kitchen. Counters run along two walls, cabinets above them. At one end is a small metal sink with a water hand pump sticking over it, and at the other is a folding screen with a faded pattern of what I think is the Earth Kingdom symbol on it. A wood-burning stove sits a few feet away from the door where I'm standing. Everything is old, but clean.

"Where should I put these?" I ask Harmony.

"Oh no dear. You don't have to help. You're our guest!" she replies, taking the dishes from me and placing them in the sink.

"No, I want to. After all, you fed us that delicious meal."

"How about a compromise? You can help Song clear the table, but then you'll take a bath." I bite my lip. I'd like to help…but a bath sounds so good. I haven't been really clean in what feels like ages, since the day we left the spa. Looking at Harmony, I can tell she knows she's won by the twinkle in her eye.

"Alright," I agree. Turning, I go back to the dining room. I note that Zuko must have gone out on the porch, and that Iroh has finished the duck and moved onto the noodles. Shaking my head at his seemingly bottomless stomach, I stack dishes one on top of another and carry them back to the kitchen, where Harmony has started washing. Song and I make quick work of the table. It's almost like a race to see who can carry the most plates the fastest. She wins. Placing the last stack of dishes next to the sink, I pick up a towel to dry, but Harmony snatches it out of my hands.

"Aiko!" she scolds. "What did we agree on?"

"Sorry," I mumble. With a satisfied nod, Harmony turns to her daughter.

"Song, get some more firewood. We need to heat the water."

"Oh you don't need to do that. I'll heat it myself. I'm a waterbender."

"Well in that case, just fill that pot up with water and pour it in the tub. It's behind the screen," Harmony tells me, nodding at the giant kettle on the back of the stove. I walk over, and with a grunt, pick it up by the handle. It's a lot heavier than I expected. I turn back to the sink, where Harmony scoots over some so I can fill the kettle up. Taking the water pump's handle it both hands, I move it up and down, trying not to show how hard I'm straining. Harmony must be a lot stronger than she looks. She made this look as easy as walking. Either that or I need to start exercising more. Making a mental note to wake up earlier, I stop pumping, the water almost to the brim. I pick up the kettle, regretting filling it up so much. It's a lot heavier now.

I hurriedly walk over to the screen and go behind it, revealing a small wooden tub that's just the right size for an Earth Kingdom woman, which means I'll have extra space. Water Tribe people tend to be on the smaller size, being larger only than the Air Nomads. After the Water Tribe, it's the Fire Nation, followed by the Earth Kingdom. Tipping the kettle, I allow water to gush into the tub. Once it's empty, I set the kettle outside the screen. Song comes around the screen, carrying a towel, a rag, and soap.

"Thanks," I say with a smile, taking everything from her hands.

"I'll take your clothes now, if you'd like," she tells me, holding out her hands expectantly. Trying not to feel uncomfortable, I kneel and take off my boots, then slither out of my clothes, leaving me in just my breast bands and white shorts.

"Here you go," I practically shove her out into the kitchen. Tugging on the screen to close it a little more, I quickly undress the rest of the way, and get in the tub, drawing my knees to my chest. Gasping a little at the cold water, I quickly bend it to just the right temperature. Soon the water is near scalding, just the way I like it. Sighing, I sink down until I'm nearly submerged. Pulling myself upright with a slosh, I reach over the side of the tub and slide my hand around until it reaches the rag and soap. Picking up both, I dip the rag in the water and rub the soap into it. I wash myself, paying extra attention to any extra smelly areas. Then I rub the soap onto my hands and lather my hair. Taking a breath, I duck my head under to rinse.

Surfacing, I stand up and squeeze water out of my hair. I step out of the tub and grab the thin towel, wrapping in around myself. I poke my head out from behind the screen to ask Song or Harmony where my clothes are, but I'm distracted by the blob of blue and white on the floor. Looking closer, I discover that it's a _hanbok_ like the ones Song and Harmony wear, except shaded a light blue whereas theirs are pink and olive green, respectively. Sighing, I grab it and duck back behind the screen. Using the soap, I quickly clean my underthings in the tub and bend them dry. Putting the essentials on, I slide the _hanbok_ over my head. I fumble a little with the sash at the neckline, but eventually manage to tie it somewhat like Song and Harmony have theirs tied. There's also a pair of matching slippers, but I reject them for my boots. The final look is a little strange, but I don't care. I pick up everything I used and step out from behind the screen.

Harmony is putting away the last of the dishes, stretching to reach the top cabinet. Smiling, I walk over.

"Where would you like me to put all of this?" I ask politely.

"I'll take them, dear," she replies, turning towards me and taking everything out of my hands. "Did you enjoy the bath?"

I nod eagerly. "Very much, thank you."

"I'm glad to see that old _hanbok_ fits. You'll keep it, of course."

"I couldn't!" I protest.

"Song outgrew it about a year or so ago, so we have no use for it. Plus, I threw your old clothes in the fire," she remarks casually.

"You WHAT?!" I screech, eyes wide with shock.

"They were so old and worn that you weren't going to get much more use out of them. And you'll find that most women around Ba Sing Se wear robes or dresses, not pants."

"I guess that makes sense," I grumble. Feeling something wet slide down my back, I snap my fingers. "Oh yeah! I need to dry my hair." With a wave of my hand, the water leaves my hair and slips into the sink down the drain. "Do you have a hair tie or something like that I can use?" I ask Harmony.

"Why don't you ask Song? She's out on the porch with Lee." With a nod and a smile, I walk out of the kitchen.

I stare at Song's scar, her words ringing in my ears. Light pink and spreading across her leg, it contrasts sharply with the rest of her, which is soft and sweet. The sliding door opens, and Song pulls her pants leg down. We both look up to see Aiko standing in the doorway.

"Song?" she asks softly, like she realizes she's walking in on something serious. "Do you have something I can tie my hair back with?" Song's face immediately lights up.

"Oooo, I think I have a matching ribbon! I'll go get it!" She bounces up and runs into the house.

With a groan, Aiko plops down next to me. "Great, more dress-up," she mutters. I finally look at her for real. With a little surprise, I realize she's wearing a light blue robe like Song's. But what catches my attention is her unusual hair, loose and practically glowing in the lantern light. I remember how it felt so long ago, and my fingers itch to touch it again.

"Why are you wearing that?" I ask, wincing a little at how rude it sounds.

"Harmony burned my other clothes. Apparently women don't wear pants," Aiko replies, mumbling something about stupid sexism at the end.

"They do in the Fire Nation." She looks at me in surprise.

"Really?"

I nod. "We allow women to join the navy, so they wear armor. And we have an emergency response force, so they have to wear pants then too. And the Yu Yan archers wear pants. We teach our women how to take care of themselves."

"Like fighting?"

"Yes. Some are firebenders, but most learn how to throw knives or darts. Those are the easiest to hide. And a few are chi blockers." I shudder at the memory of light punches against my arms and legs.

"What's chi blocking?" Aiko turns fully towards me, an expression of curiosity on her face.

"A few people have figured out spots you can hit that temporarily paralyze someone or block their bending."

Aiko shivers. "Sounds awful." I nod in agreement.

"That's why most of us learn how to use a weapon besides firebending, in case we run into a chi blocker." Aiko nods, staring off into the forest again. "You look nice," I blurt out. Her eyes snap back to my face.

"I said you look nice," I mumble, embarrassed now.

"Um…thanks," Aiko says, eyeing me like I'm a lunatic who's escaped his cell. Luckily, Song comes bustling out right then.

"I managed to find two matching ribbons, look!" she proudly holds up her prizes. "So you can braid one into your hair."

"Oh, that would look pretty!" Aiko smiles. "Would you braid my hair for me?"

"Sure!" Song exclaims. She kneels behind Aiko, and quickly twists her hair into a braid, somehow working a ribbon into it. She ties off with the second ribbon. I stare, almost unhappy that Aiko's hair is tightly bound again.

"Song!" Harmony calls from inside.

"Coming Mom!" she shouts back before walking into the house.

"I thought you didn't like dressing up," I say.

"I don't. But I like braiding. It's fun." Aiko shrugs. Iroh walks out, followed by Song and Harmony. I stand, and offer a hand to Aiko, who takes it after a moment of hesitation. I pull her up, then quickly drop her hand. Ignoring Harmony and Iroh's good-byes, I stare down the road, eager to get moving. We walk out of the yard. I pause outside of the gate, staring at the ostrich horse tied up by it yearningly. But no, it's a mare, too small for all three of us. Shaking my head, I move to catch up to Iroh and Aiko. It's going to be a long walk.

**So some notes. You may have noticed that I don't name who's viewpoint it is, I just drop immediate clues as to who it's going to be. And secondly, the ostrich horse. Now, I don't doubt Zuko would steal to support himself and others, but there's a difference from stealing from the wealthy, and stealing from the people who just healed your uncle and fed you a nice fat meal. So he's going to get an ostrich horse another way. Review!**


	17. Humble Pie

**Hey! Sorry about the day late, but I was gone literally all day yesterday. But I think you'll like this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any character you recognize. I just give royal hair washings.**

_**Aiko**_

We've stopped to rest in a small but prosperous village, and Iroh's taken the opportunity to beg. I have to admit, I'm a little humiliated. I'm not spoiled, but I've always gotten things that I needed, either through my status as a Kyoshi warrior, or a stranger's kindness. But I'm definitely not as ticked as Zuko. Another man tosses a few coins into Iroh's hat. Leaning over to look at it, I count it up in my head.

"I think we'll have enough for some bread and fruit soon," I comment.

"Bread and fruit? We shouldn't have to beg. We're royalty! These people should be giving us whatever we want," Zuko snaps. I'm surprised he lasted this long.

"They will if you ask nicely," Iroh tells him. Just then a girl walks by. I stare at her. I've never seen clothes like hers. They're really bright, and her hair is held back by a two scarves twisted together. I shake my head at it; I've never seen clothes like this. "Spare change for a hungry old man?" Iroh asks, making the panda puppy eyes. She tosses a coin in his hat.

"Here you go," she says.

"The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile!" Iroh replies with a broad smile. The girl giggles and walks off. Zuko groans.

"Do you have to flirt with every woman you meet?"

"Hey, you should be taking notes. Otherwise you'll end up dying alone," I tell him. More people pass by, but one man pauses. My eyes are immediately drawn to the glimmer of the hilts of his broadswords that are slung over his shoulder. He feels like trouble.

"How about some entertainment for a gold piece?" the man smirks, looking us over. I shrink back against Zuko, although I'm raging inside. I hate having to act helpless!

"We're not performers," Zuko says, gritting his teeth.

"Not professional at least!" Iroh hastily adds as the man starts to turn away. Jumping up, he opens his mouth and emits a horrible noise that could be called singing. "It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city, they look so pretty!" I wince as his last note goes horribly off-key.

"Come on, we're talking a gold piece here! Let's see some action!" the man shouts. In one smooth movement, he unsheathes his dual dao swords and starts slicing at Iroh's feet. "Dance!" I start to rise to my feet, but Zuko yanks me back down.

"Don't," he hisses in my ear. I scowl at him, but settle myself back down. As Iroh keeps singing and "dancing," I feel him tense up.

Slipping my hand into his, I copy him from earlier. "Don't." The man finally stops, laughing.

"Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner! Here you go!" Sheathing his swords in one smooth motion, he flips the coin into Iroh's hat, and walks off. I resist the urge to take it and throw in at his head. That can buy meat.

Such a nice man," Iroh comments, sitting down, and breathing a little bit heavier than normal. Glancing down at Zuko and mine's joined hands, he smirks. "Did I miss something?" I don't know who moves first, Zuko, or me, but in the next moment, we're not holding hands anymore.

"I think we have enough money for now," I say, desperate for a change of topic. "I'll go get food." Snatching Iroh's hat out of his hands, I briskly walk to the market, ignoring his protests. Rounding a corner, I slow down to a more leisurely pace. Browsing, I use the copper coins to buy mangoes, bananas, and some fresh buns. The purchase also comes with a free basket. I hand the merchant the coins with a smile.

"Have a nice day," he smiles.

"Thank you." Walking down the street, a delicious smell enters my nose. Licking my lips, I follow it until I reach a cart full of roasted meat. Other people have the same idea as me, and I am obliged to stand in line behind four women, most likely getting lunch for their families. While I wait, I try to decide what the gold coin will buy. Shaking my head in exasperation, I decide I'm just going to ask the vendor and hope that he's honest. I've never really shopped before. The line inches forward as one woman leaves and the next takes her place. I wait for about five more minutes before it's finally my turn. They really value their haggling here. My mouth waters as I take in all the meat. A small cough distracts me from my ogling.

"How may I help you today?" the vendor asks. A young man a few years older than me, he wears the typical dark green tunic, and a brown apron with reddish stains I'm going to ignore tied over it.

"How much meat can I get with this?" I ask, holding up the gold coin.

"I'd say…one small turducken."

"Then that's what I'll buy." I hand him the coin, and he grabs a roast turducken hanging in the back, wrapping it in paper and handing it to me. "Thank you!" I say with a smile. I start to walk off, but he stops me.

"Excuse me, miss?" I turn. He's hefting the coin in his hand, lines furrowing along his brow.

"What is it?" I move back to the cart, ignoring the disgruntled customers behind me.

Looking around, he leans in closer. "I think this may be counterfeit," he whispers.

"What?" I gasp. Of all the lowdown, rotten tricks…I'm going to kill that man. The vendor bites into the coin, and proving his suspicions, it bends easily. "I'm so sorry. Here's the turducken back." I take the package out of my basket and set it on the counter.

"I'm sorry miss…but I have to report you to the law officers." He steps around behind the cart, where someone is probably roasting meat. I hear voices, and a few moments later, a little boy runs down the street. Cheeks burning, I step aside so the next person can order. But no one moves to the counter. Glancing up, I see that they're all staring at me. Oh joy. The little boy soon comes back, two soldiers that must serve as law enforcers walking behind him.

"What's wrong?" the older, and most likely higher ranking, of the two asks.

"Just a misunderstanding. This girl gave me a counterfeit coin, but I'm positive she had no idea what it was," the vendor replies. I wince at how loud his voice sounds.

"I'm sorry miss, but we're going to have to take you to headquarters," the officer says with a pitying look.

"Alright," I sigh. "Just…no chains please?" The officer nods and we walk off, one on either side of me. It's a short walk, literally a few blocks from the market. The buildings seem more official around here. Maybe it's the government district? We go into a small, one-story building, painted an unassuming beige. The older officer heads in a different direction, to a cluster of desks, and I start to follow him. The younger man grabs my arm though, and gently guides me down a series of hallways that get progressively smaller, darker, and overall, ickier with every turn. Finally he deposits me in a small cell, which, thankfully, has no other occupants. I set the basket down as he starts to speak.

"I'm sorry, but it's policy for you to stay here while we sort everything out. Captain Ling will be along shortly to ask you some questions." He walks off, and with a groan, I flop down onto the straw pallet, only to pop up again with a squeal when I feel something move. I whip out my fans as a blur of brown and gray dashes out of the pallet, barreling towards the basket of food. I wildly throw a fan at it, somehow managing to hit it, knocking it out. Looking a little bit closer, I realize it's a wolf rat. Alternating between gagging and squealing, I kick it out between the bars of the cell into the hallway, right into the older officer's from before path.

"Oh, I'm sorry Captain Ling," I apologize.

"No worries miss. I'm used to it. Although I'll need to confiscate your basket and fans." Reluctantly, I take out my other fan, and he unlocks the door long enough for me to hand everything to him. Placing everything off to the side, he sets up the little portable writing set he was carrying. Gingerly sitting down, he dips the brush into ink and looks up at me. "Full name please?"

"Aiko, daughter of Akemi and Takashi, of Kyoshi Island."

"Now, how did you come across the coin?"

"My friend, his uncle, and I are traveling to Ba Sing Se. We stopped here to beg for money. A man gave us a gold coin. I went shopping, and the meat vendor discovered it was counterfeit. That's all, really."

"Can you describe this man?"

"Ummm…big sideburns, bearded, and he had dual dao swords. That's all I remember, sorry," I reply.

"Thank you. We'll try to get through with the paperwork as soon as possible." Captain Ling stands, folding up the writing set and picking up my stuff. He walks back down the hallway, the echo of his footsteps soon being the only sign anyone was here. Sighing I move to sit back down on the pallet, but think better of it. What to do, what to do. Well…the _hanbok_ does have bloomers under it…I suppose I could always go through a few exercises. I'm sorry to say that I've been a bit lazy, and really haven't trained since my spars with Zuko months ago.

I do some basic stretches, then drop down into a split. With a grunt, I place my legs flat against the ground. Leaning over, I stretch until my nose brushes my knee. Moving back upright, I lean backwards until my head barely brushes against the back of my leg. Wincing, I stand up. That directions needs working on. Switching leading legs, I go back into a split and repeat my stretches. I've worked my way through straddles, and am working on handstands when Captain Ling comes back.

"Well, we've got all the paperwork in order. The only thing left now is the matter of bail." My heart sinks.

"Bail?" I ask weakly.

"Yes. In matters like these, we usually charge the amount that was counterfeit. So your bail is one gold coin."

"Oh." I sit down with a thump on the damp floor. "Can I get a message to my friends? They're only a few streets away from the east end of the market."

"Yes, I should be able to send a petty officer. What would you like to tell them?"

"Can you just ask them to come here? That would be nice," I sigh.

"I'll get on that." And with that, I'm alone once again. Leaning back, I lay flat against the floor, ignoring the wet. Where in the world will we get bail? It took utter humiliation to get our first gold coin, and that wasn't even real gold. I guess it's just up to Zuko and Iroh. With a groan of utter boredom, I roll onto my side, cheek squishing into the floor. I guess I'm more tired than I realize, because I start dozing off. Weird half-thoughts float through my head. I wonder why Iroh likes tea so much, and why Zuko is always so snappy. And I wonder why I haven't parted company with them yet.

Maybe it's a matter of convenience. I don't have anywhere else to go, so I just travel with them. But that's not true. I have Suki and the other warriors. Or maybe it's a matter of laziness? It would take so long to go back to Kyoshi, and I'd be by myself. But all I'd have to do is have an official check the records for my identification, and they would arrange transportation. So why am I still here?

I'm snapped fully awake by the sound of angry footsteps coming down the hall. Sitting up, I watch with interest through the door of my cell until someone comes into view. It's Zuko. I try to hide the little bit of surprise I'm feeling. I expected Iroh.

"So did the officers tell you what happened, or do I need to explain?" I ask in a way of greeting.

"I'm going to kill that man," he replies.

"Leave some for me," I grin. "So do you know about the bail?"

He nods, and I don't say anything. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here soon," he says awkwardly.

"Thanks." We both stare at each other. "Well…I guess you should go now. Get started on begging or whatever. Oh, and tell one of the officers to give you the basket of food." Zuko nods, and almost runs off. I hold back a sigh, and go back to my exercises.

I slide through the window of the tailor's, pacing through the racks until I see a form-fitting set of a black shirt and pants. Crawling back out, I dart into a dark alley and quickly change. Now to find the mask from earlier. It's still dusk, so some people are still out. It's easy to track the vendor from before, so easy it's almost laughable. While he's distracted by a customer, I leap down from the roof I'm on, snatching the blue Water Tribe mask off the cart and dashing off before anyone notices. Tying it on as I run, I think about what to do next.

I've made some inquiries, and I know that there's only one tavern around here, the King's Ransom. It's a small shot, but the only one I've got to get weapons, Aiko's bail, and revenge. I pause on a small side street, little more than an alley, right next to the tavern. Scrambling up some crates, I perch on the roof of the tavern and wait. And wait. And wait.

Finally, around midnight, the man from before, the reason I'm doing this, staggers out of the bar. By a stroke of luck, he heads down this street. As soon as he's passed me, I quietly leap down and shove him to the ground. While he's stunned, I lean over and unhook the sheath for his swords. He doesn't deserve weapons as fine as these. Taking them out and twirling them a little, just to show off, I advance, enjoying the fear running through his body. It makes my heart pound a little faster, adrenaline pumping through my veins. With one swift blow to his temple, I knock him out. Rummaging in his pockets, I pull out his coin purse. Peering inside, I see the glimmer of gold, silver, and copper. Reaching inside for a gold coin, I bite down on it. It doesn't yield. With a nod of satisfaction, I go back to where I've stashed my clothes, changing back quickly and hiding the blacks and the swords. I pocket one gold coin, and place the purse with everything else.

I walk through the empty streets, entering the jailhouse. I casually toss the coin on the counter. The receptionist, who had been dozing until then, jerks upright with a snort. Looking at me, then the coin, then back at me, he finally opens his mouth. "I'll go get Captain Ling." He rushes off, and I fidget. Being in a den of Earth Kingdom soldiers isn't exactly what I wanted to be doing with my time. The young soldier returns, an older officer that I recognize from this afternoon in tow.

"Oh good, you have the bail. I'll just take you to Aiko's cell then." We walk in silence down the hallways, although I'm mentally condemning the place. I can't believe Aiko has been here for the majority of the day and night. I remember how worried I felt when she didn't return from shopping, and the relief when the officer came and found us. And then the quiet rage at the man who had put Aiko, someone so innocent, in a place so horrible. "Here it is," the man whispers. "It looks like she's asleep. What do you want me to do?"

"She'd sleep through a tornado," I reply at a normal volume. "I'll just carry her." He nods, and unlocks the door. I step in, stooping a little. I notice that she's lying on the floor, not the pallet. Silly girl. Hefting her in my arms, I try to arrange her limbs in a comfortable position. True to my statement, she doesn't stir, only shifting herself so she's pressed closer against me. I follow Captain Ling out into the office area.

"And here are her fans." Captain Ling places them on top of Aiko. "You'll want to watch out. People who carry these around usually mean business."

"Oh, I know," I reply. And with that I walk out, glad to be done with this place.

**Review!**


	18. Choice

**I am soooooo sorry! I just had zero time to write this week. And this was really hard to write for, since we barely know what Zuko and Iroh do in this episode. So I filled it in with lots of fluff.**

_**Zuko**_

We're walking. In the pouring rain. I hate being a refugee. Luckily, I hate stolen some waterproof wrappings for our supplies before we left town. But that's all. It wasn't enough for one person, let alone three. Aiko skips ahead, splashing around in puddles. I scowl as some wayward water gets on me.

"Will you stop!" I snap.

"Why? I'm having fun!" she replies, jumping into another puddle. I dodge the wave of water. Uncle isn't as lucky.

"How are you having fun?"

"I'm a waterbender," she says in a _duh_ tone.

"Well I'm a firebender. That doesn't mean I like being set on fire!" Looking directly at me, Aiko jumps into the biggest puddle yet, flicking her wrists so the wave goes onto me. That's it. I run after her. Giggling, she dashes ahead, but my longer legs soon allow me to catch up. She's midway in looking over her shoulder when I reach out and grab her. My arms wrap around her midsection. Her hands come up over mine. I tighten my hold so she can't slip out.

"Now will you stop playing?" I ask, exasperated. Aiko looks up at me, a playful glint in her eyes.

"I don't know. I mean, it gets you to hug me. You're cute when you get all affectionate."

"Gah!" I let go of her, stumbling a few steps back. "Don't do that!"

"What did I miss?" Uncle calmly walks up to us.

"Nothing!" I yell before stomping off ahead. I hear the murmur of Aiko's voice, then Uncle's booming laugh. Argh. We walk for the rest of the day, and into the night, finally arriving at a small town. Three guards are standing in front of the closed gate. We walk up to it.

"I'm sorry, but we're not allowed to let travelers in after sundown," the oldest guard states. "Come back tomorrow and we'll let you in." I move towards the guard, scowling, but Aiko places a hand on my shoulder. Looking back at her and Uncle's tired faces, I sigh.

"Fine," I grumble. Turning around, I lead the way into the woods. At least we can get out of the rain that's still lightly falling down. Stepping under the trees, I'm covered in darkness.

"Oof!" Aiko exclaims. "I just ran into a tree." Looking over my shoulder to make sure we're far enough away, I light a small flame. "That's better," she says, squinting in the sudden light.

"Zuko! No firebending!" Uncle says. With a swipe of his hand, my flame goes out. Something brushes along my chest, settling on my shoulders. I grab at it, squeezing hard.

"Ow! Zuko, it's just me," Aiko's voice says directly in my ears.

"What are you doing?" I hiss, feeling myself start to blush.

"I'm trying not to kiss any more trees."

"A wise idea Aiko. We'll all hold hands until we find a suitable place to rest," Iroh states. I feel Aiko's hand work its way down my arm to my hand, wrapping her fingers around mine. Smooth skin rubs against my callouses.

"How come you don't have callouses?" I ask before mentally hitting myself.

"I wore gloves on Kyoshi, and then I haven't been practicing enough to build them up," Aiko replies after a moment's pause. I don't say anything. I've already sounded stupid enough for one night. We wander in silence, my other arm stretched out to feel for trees. Eventually we stumble across a cave in a moonlit clearing. It's past midnight, so we all collapse at the entrance of the cave, barely inside so light drizzle doesn't touch us.

When I wake up, we're all curled up in a pile. Aiko is sandwiched between Iroh and me, our arms wrapped around her. My nose is buried in her braid. It smells like dirt and sweat, but is strangely not totally disgusting. Detangling myself from her, I ease up and away from the sleeping figures. We need food, and I know exactly how to get it. Digging around the basket, I pull out my black clothes and mask from the very bottom. It was hard to hide them from Uncle and Aiko, but worth it. I can get supplies without having to pay for them. I walk into the trees, checking to make sure Uncle, or worse, Aiko, hadn't followed me before slipping out of my Earth Kingdom garb and into my blacks. I tie the mask around my face and pick up my swords.

I'm ready.

**oooooooooo**

I hide my mask in a tree, change clothes, and walk back to camp. Dumping the barrels of food I've collected, I look round camp. Uncle is sitting at the mouth of the cave.

"Where did you get those?" he asks.

"What does it matter where they came from?" I growl. "Where's Aiko?"

"I believe she went down to the river." I walk back into the woods, smiling a little at the sound of Uncle enjoying the food. As I get closer to the river, the sound of splashing reaches my ears. Walking into the sunlight, I blink. I hear a shriek, and someone scrambling out of water. My eyes adjust just in time to see Aiko yanking her robes over her head.

"I-um…I…," I stutter.

"Next time tell me you're coming!" she yells, her face as red as mine.

"I didn't see anything, if that helps," I mutter.

"Why are you here anyway?" she asks, crossing her arms.

"I wanted to give you this," I say, fumbling in my pockets. Pulling out a necklace, I hold it out to her. "I, um, found it on the path when I got food." It's nothing fancy, just a chunk of quartz on a chain. "I thought you'd like it." Her face gets even redder.

"Do you know the significance of a boy giving a girl a necklace in the Water Tribe?"

"No…is it important?"

"No…not really. Can you fasten it for me?" Turning, Aiko pulls her hair off the back of her neck. I lower the chain down around her neck and fasten the clasp. Facing me, she touches the quartz. "Thank you," she says with a smile. Leaning forward, she envelopes me in a quick hug. "Come on, Iroh will be wondering where we are." She grabs my hand and tugs me forward. I follow at her side, our interlocked hands swinging back and forth a little.

"Aren't you going to let go?" I ask, loosening my grip a little.

"Why? You nervous?" she replies, laughing. I stiffen. "Relax, I'm just kidding. I'm just a very affectionate person. You don't have to worry about anything unless I kiss you."

"Oh."

"You sounded a little disappointed there," Aiko smirks.

"I am not!"

"Suuure you aren't. Oh look, we're here!" She lets go of my hand and skips ahead.

"Aiko, could you be a dear and get an old man some tea leaves?" I hear Uncle ask.

"Of course!" By the time I get to the clearing, she's skipped right back out again, heading for town I guess. I squat in front of Uncle.

"Uncle, why didn't you tell me she was bathing?" I hiss.

"I thought you would put two and two together," he blinks innocently.

"Well luckily for you, I didn't see anything. I'm going on a walk." Standing up I go back to my hiding place. We need more supplies.

**ooooooooooooo**

I make my way back to camp, leading our new ostrich horse along. It's a stallion, so it's large enough to carry all three of us. Tossing the box of money in with everything else in the tree trunk, I tug on the reins, and head back to camp. Uncle and Aiko greet me.

"What a fine beast, nephew. Where did you find it?"

"The merchant wanted to get rid of all of his animals before he went back to his farm. He was having a sale. This one," I shake the reins, "was five coppers."

"His other animals must have been magnificent if this one went for just five coppers."

"Iroh, would you take care of the ostrich horse for a minute? I need to talk to Zuko," Aiko says sweetly.

"Of course. I'll get dinner started as well," Iroh takes the reins from my hands, and I follow Aiko into the forest. As soon as we're out of earshot she turns around and shoves me. I stumble backwards a little, more to appease her than from her actual strength.

"You jerk! You're stealing from people!"

"How did you find out?"

"I'm not an idiot. I can put two and two together. And it helps when you run into a woman that says the necklace you're wearing was stolen from her by a masked bandit with dual dao swords." My gaze shifts to her neck, where I notice the chain is gone now. Idiot. Why did you even give that to her? "Hey!" Aiko waves her hand in front of my face. "Are you even listening?"

"…no?"

"I said, that I'm going to follow you around now, just to make sure you don't steal anything else."

"What?! You can't do that!" I protest.

"Watch me. Now come on, we're going back to camp." She grabs my hand, but it's nothing like this morning. It's a rough, angry motion, not a friendly gesture. Sighing, I let her drag me along.

**oooooooooo**

I wake up extra, extra early today. It's still dark out. Aiko is curled up in the back of the cave, as far away from me as possible. She didn't talk to me at all last night, and caught fish instead of eating the meat I had…found. Creeping out of the cave, I go to the familiar tree and put everything on. Uncle could use more tea.

**oooooooooo**

I sit next to the campfire, waiting for Uncle and Aiko to get back. When I had returned from "shopping," they were gone. Just then I hear Uncle's heavy tread, and the sound of Aiko's chatter. She falls silent as soon as she sees me though. Uncle walks by me to the cave, talking as he goes.

"Hello, nephew. Did you have a nice morning? Aiko and went down to the river. She showed me the most amusing tricks with her bending." Said girl sits beside me.

"You had better have not been doing what I think you were doing," she mutters. Uncle walks back out, holding the teapot I got him. Aiko glares at me.

"Looks like you did some serious shopping. But where did you get the money?" he asks.

"Do you like your new teapot?" I dance around the question.

"To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or tin cup." He walks over to me, sitting next to me. I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by. But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty." I turn away. I don't have honor. And I'll never have honor.

"There's no honor for me without the Avatar," I voice my thoughts.

"Zuko…," Uncle sighs. "Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now."

"Then there is no hope at all," I say.

"No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength," Uncle grabs my shoulders. I look at him, then stand off and walk into the forest. I don't go to any place in particular, but I somehow end up at the river. Splashing into the shallows, I climb up onto a rock positioned in the sun.

I don't know what to do. I'm so confused. I want to, no, need to capture the Avatar, but Uncle says it won't solve our problems. And despite being a bumbling old man, Uncle usually knows what he's talking about. I wrestle back and forth, my thoughts going in the same circle. Finally, after hours of thinking up different ideas, I come to a decision. I walk back to camp, where I find Aiko and Uncle in the same positions, as if I'd never left.

"Uncle…I thought a lot about what you said," I tell him. His expression brightens.

"You did? Good, good."

"It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. I need to find my own way." Avoiding looking at his face, I grab my pack and start to walk off.

"Wait!" I hear two voices shout. Turning, I see Aiko and Uncle walking towards me. Uncle is leading the ostrich horse. When he reaches me, he hands me the reins. Aiko is carrying her pack.

"I'm coming with you," she states, leaving no room for argument.

"That would be wise," Uncle says before I can counter. "A young man and woman will receive less…violent…attention than an old man and young woman. It will be safer for Aiko if she goes with you." Looking at his face, I know I can't tell him no. Sighing, I offer my hand to Aiko for her to mount.

"I'll walk," she tells me. Turning, she gives Uncle a quick hug. She comes and stands by me. I kick the ostrich horse, and it obediently starts walking forward, Aiko following. We don't look back.

**Yeah. So I blatantly ignored any scenes with the Blue Spirit, because I didn't feel like writing it. Reviews make me write faster.**


	19. Together but Separate

**Two days late again, I know. But it's really long, almost three thousand words without the AN. Expect updates to come slower, because I'm officially in the musical, and I have band, a piano competition, and a leadership class. Spring is just a busy time for me. I'll try to write in the mornings though, since I love you all so much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of the characters except Aiko. I just make non-toxic face paint for the Kyoshi warriors.**

_**Aiko**_

Hot. Dry. Barren. Empty. Any self-respecting Water Tribesperson would hate it. Good thing I'm a self-respecting Water Tribesperson. I'm hungry. My legs are sore from walking on hard ground for over a week. I have constant sunburn no matter how many times I heal it, and I'm always thirsty. At least with Iroh I would get tea every once in a while. Why did I come with Zuko again? Oh yeah, to keep him from stealing. I wipe sweat from my forehead and glance at the sun. Time for my water ration. Taking off the canteen at my hip, I uncap the lid and take a tiny, measured sip. Oh yes. Have I mentioned I haven't bathed in days? I look at the white tail feathers wagging dispiritedly in front of me, kind of zoning out until the movement stops.

"What is it?" I croak. Grimacing, I clear my throat and try again. "Zuko?"

"Bridge. You can go first." This has been the basis of our conversations, words with two syllables or less, and only about the bare necessities. Stepping around him and the ostrich horse, I stare at the bridge. Old and wooden, with rope handles. Fun. I take my first step out on it, hanging onto the rope. The boards creak beneath me, but hold my weight. I walk forward cautiously. Zuko follows once I'm about halfway over. Immediately the bridge sags. The boards make even scarier noises, and I begin moving faster. I hear ropes snapping, and run. I can feel the ostrich horse on my heels, urging me on. The bridge collapses right as all three of us make it to the other side. And that's when everything goes black.

My eyes flutter open to Zuko's worried face inches from mine.

"Gah!" I sit up, slamming heads with him. "Oooowwww," I scoot backwards, rubbing my forehead. He's doing the same. "What were you doing?" I demand.

"Checking on you! You fainted."

"I did not! I just…lost consciousness for a moment, that's all."

"Several minutes actually." He mounts the ostrich horse and holds out his hand to me.

"Nuh-uh, I'm not riding a stolen animal." I back away. Sighing, he kicks the ostrich horse forward, grabs my arm, and roughly pulls me up in front of him. A little sigh of relief escapes my lips. No more walking.

"Is that a thank you I'm hearing?" he teases.

"No!" I shift to dismount, but he just wraps an arm around my waist, holding the reins in his free hand. "Fine," I grumble, leaning back against him. "But only while I take a nap." Closing my eyes, I try to ignore how Zuko's firebending body heat is just making everything hotter.

"Aiko," a voice whispers.

"Mmnh," I turn my head away from the sound.

"Aiko." The voice is more insistent now.

"What?" I crack my eyes open a little.

"We're at a town." I realize that it's Zuko.

"Really?" I stretch. "How long was I out?"

"Not long, about an hour." I dismount stiffly, my muscles protesting at every movement.

"Here, give me the canteens. I'll go find a well or something. You get food." He hands me his canteen, and I walk off. Wandering, I find the center of the town, where a decrepit water tower is positioned. A pipe runs down to a spigot. I walk over and turn it on, sticking my canteen under it. When it's full I switch it out with Zuko's, guzzling the water from mine. It's warm, but I could care less. I stick mine back under the spigot, slinging Zuko's over my shoulder. I turn the water off and turn to walk back to where Zuko is waiting.

"Excuse me miss," a voice says in a tone that's anything but polite. I spin around and become face to face with an Earth Kingdom soldier. He's young, I'd say in his twenties, with a strong jaw.

"Yes?" I ask cautiously.

"Water comes with a price." He takes my hand.

"Um…I have…to go…"

"So soon?" he smiles down at me. I rip my hand from his and run. Fear speeds me on, despite my pounding head and aching muscles. I make it to where Zuko is waiting, ducking behind him. The counter of the stall jabs me in the back, but at least I'm safe. I look at the group of big soldiers surrounding him. Or not. The soldier chasing me joined the others.

"What did she do?" the one in the center jerks his head to me.

"Stole water."

The one in the center picked up the two bags of feed, brushing past me roughly to do so.

"Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support. You better leave town. Penalty for stayin' is a lot steeper than you can afford, strangers. Trust me." They walk off.

"What was that all about?" I ask.

"They thought I threw eggs at them." I snort.

"Yeah, right. You don't have good enough aim."

"What about you?"

"Another case of creepy soldier syndrome. Come on, let's go." The store owner walks out.

"Sorry about that. Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation. But they're just a bunch of thugs." I smile humorlessly. Zuko gets on the ostrich horse, and I mount in front of him.

"What?" I say when he looks at me. "That soldier could try attacking me again. I want to be up here where it's safe."

"Don't you have your fans?"

"Of course. But we're trying not to draw attention. Besides, I can't enjoy being saved every once in a while?"

"So you are a girl," he smirks. I elbow him in the gut. A little boy runs up to us.

"Thanks for not ratting me out!" he tells Zuko. I raise my eyebrows. Zuko just kicks the ostrich horse forward. The little boy has other plans though. He grabs the reins. "I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you! Come on, I owe you!" He pulls the ostrich horse forward. I look back at Zuko, who shrugs. I sigh. Might as well finish my nap.

I wake up to the sound of squeals. Jerking upright, I look around wildly. Oh, just pig hybrids.

"No one can ever sneak up on us!" the boy shouts over the noise.

"No kidding," Zuko snorts. We dismount, and the boy leads the ostrich horse away. A man, the boy's father I guess, comes out of a rundown house.

"You a friend of Lee's?" he asks. I shift my weight, looking to Zuko to take the lead. The boy, Lee, runs up and grabs his father's arm.

"This guy just stood up to the soldiers! By the end, he practically had them running away!" I smile at his antics. It's been a long time since I've seen someone so excited. A woman comes out and joins Lee and his father.

"Does this guy have a name?" she asks, looking at Zuko, who stutters a bit.

"He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Sela. Anyone who can hold his own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms."

"The real soldiers are off fighting the War, like Lee's big brother Sensu. Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?" Sela asks us.

"Yes, please," I reply, right as Zuko says no. We glare at each other, prepared to stay there until the other one backs down.

"Gansu could use some help on the barn," Sela interrupts. "Why don't you two work for a while, then we'll eat." Zuko nods. "And you can help me finish dinner," she says to me. I smile. We walk to the house, while the boys head to the barn. It's dark inside, but I can tell Sela to make it as homely as she could. Dried flowers sit in a bowl on the table, and everything is scrubbed clean. Something is bubbling over a hearth.

"What can I do?" I ask her. She hands me a spoon hanging by the hearth.

"You can stir the stew, and I'll set the table." She walks over to the stack of plates by a basin. "What's your name?"

"Aiko."

"Where do you come from?"

"Kyoshi Island originally."

"And you're way out here now!"

"It's a long story," I smile.

"I'm sorry, we only have four plates. After Sensu left…," she trails off, twisting her hands. "Would you mind waiting to eat?"

"Not at all. I think the stew's done." She walks over and takes the spoon from me, putting it to her lips.

"Yes, you're right. Would you go get the boys for me?" I nod and walk outside. Zuko and Gansu are up on the roof of the barn, and Lee is standing on the ladder talking to them.

"Dinner's ready!" I call up to them.

"Yes!" Lee exclaims, scrambling down, the other two right on his heels. I rest my hand on Zuko's arm.

"I'm going on a walk, I'll be back soon," I tell him. He nods, and we go off in opposite directions. There's a field of sunflowers behind the barn, and that's where I go. The petals are a little dry, but other than that the flowers are perfectly healthy. I lay down on my back, trying to avoid crushing any flowers. The sky is blindingly blue. I haven't taken time to actually appreciate that lately. Normally the sky is my favorite part of outside. I don't know why, really. I stare as the sky slowly changes from blue to orange and pink.

"Aiko?" It's Zuko.

"Here!" I call out, not moving. I hear the _shush_ of flowers being brushed aside, and soon enough he comes and lies down next to me.

"What are you doing?" he asks softly. Something about being in this position always makes people talk quietly.

"Looking at the sky."

"You like sunsets?"

"And sunrises. The way the colors shift and blend together is amazing, don't you think?"

"I guess. I've never really noticed until now."

"Learn something new every day." I stand. "I'm going to go eat." He moves to get up as well, but I push him back down. "You stay here and enjoy the sunset for me." I walk back to the house, where Sela has a plate waiting for me.

"Those are some lovely flowers you have out there," I tell her.

"Thank you," she smiles. "They grow wild, but I try to keep the weeds out when I have the time." I gobble down the stew, barely tasting it. All I know is that it's filling. When I'm done, I wash it in the basin.

"Here are some spare blankets." Sela hands me a few patched sheets. "It gets pretty chilly at night. You'll have to sleep out in the barn I'm afraid."

"Good thing they patched the roof then," I laugh. Walking out, I go to the barn, where Zuko is already waiting. We spread the blankets out on the hay, making sure to keep a healthy distance from each other.

"Night," I tell him. There's a pause, and then he replies.

"Good night." I curl up on my side, pulling the blanket up to my nose.

Sometime during the night I wake up to Zuko getting up.

"Where are you going?" I mutter.

"Out."

"Come back soon. I'm getting cold." Drifting off again, I realize that I had been pressed up against him.

"Aiko, it's time to leave," someone shakes my shoulder. I groan and pull the blanket over my head. "Look, spider rat!" I scream, jumping to my feet.

"What? Where?" I dash behind Zuko. He smiles. "Not funny!" I smack his shoulder. With a huff, I pick up the blankets and march out, head high. I can still feel his smirk. The family is waiting for us outside.

"Thank you for letting us stay," I tell Sela, handing her the blankets. In return, she hands me a package.

"Here. This ought to get you through a few meals." I smile and mount in front of Zuko. What? He makes a nice napping spot. A cloud of dust appears in the distance, and as it clears I can make out a group of soldiers on ostrich horses. They set off the pigs, and Gansu steps forward.

"What do you think they want?" he asks no one in particular.

"Trouble," Zuko replies. The soldiers stop right in front of us.

"What do you want Gow?" Gansu aims the question at the leader, the one who took the bags of feed from us yesterday. I also spot the guy that tried to get me to pay for water in the crowd.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you that your son's battalion got captured. You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?" Gow asks casually.

My soldier spits. "Dressed 'em up in Fire Nation uniforms and put 'em on the front line unarmed, the way I heard it. Then they just watched." I shudder. Sela has her hands over her mouth, and Lee's eyes are as big as saucers. I hate these soldiers.

"You watch your mouth!" Gansu exclaims. Gow edges forward, but Zuko moves the ostrich horse between him and Gansu. They glare at each other, but Gow eventually turns away.

"Why bother rooting around with these pigs?" he scoffs. And with that, the soldiers disappear as quickly as they came. There's a moment of silence.

"What's going to happen to my brother?" Lee asks quietly. I dismount and hug him.

"I'm going to the front," Gansu announces. "I'm going to find Sensu and bring him back." He and Sela move away some for privacy. I release Lee, but still keep one arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"When my dad goes…will you guys stay?" Lee asks. I bite my lip.

"No. We need to move on," Zuko tells him. He dismounts, pulling out a dagger and presenting it to Lee. "Here, I want you to have this. Read the inscription." Lee unsheathes the dagger.

"Made in Earth Kingdom."

"The other one," Zuko tells him.

"Never give up without a fight." I smile at the familiar Earth Kingdom motto.

"And use your opponent's size against him," I tell him before Zuko pulls me up on the ostrich horse. We ride off, Lee following for a bit before turning back. We ride for the rest of the day, not stopping. I take in the monotonous scenery, zoning in and out. I focus on bright pink flowers growing on a cactus. I remember how my mom would try to dress me in pink, but I would run out of the house buck naked. She took the hint and let me join the Kyoshi warriors. I smile at the memory.

"Let's stop early for the night," Zuko says.

"Alright." We dismount and walk off the little path. "Wait a minute…do you hear that?" I cock my head, listening. "I think it's water!" I take off towards the sound.

"Aiko!" Zuko shouts. I ignore him, arriving at the small creek. I splash water on my face, enjoying the coolness. It must be spring-fed, and pretty near the source. "Don't run off like that!" Zuko says, finally catching up.

"I can take care of myself," I tell him. "Now, shoo, I want to wash up," I make little motions with my hands. He stalks off, grumbling under his breath about girls. Once he's out of sight, I strip to my bindings. I step into the stream and lay down, letting the water rush over me. When I'm nice and cool, I start rubbing myself with my hands in an attempt to scrape off as much dirt as possible. Then I enjoy the water a little more. Finally, I step out, bend the water off of me, get dressed, and walk back to camp.

There's no one there but the ostrich horse, tied to a cactus. "Zuko?" I call. "Zuko!" No answer. Running over to the ostrich horse, I struggle with the reins before untying them. But I don't know where he went. But I could try to track him. But there aren't any tracks. Maybe he got robbed? An image of a beaten and bloody Zuko lying in the middle of nowhere comes to my mind. I shake off the ridiculous image. There's no sign of struggle. And Zuko isn't the type to get bested by robbers. All I can do is wait.

It's sunset when Zuko finally comes back. I've been pacing back and forth between the ostrich horse and the path that there's a rut. I shove him as hard as I can.

"Where have you been! I was worried about you!"

"The soldiers took Lee. Sela asked for my help."

"And you didn't take me along? The least you could have done is told me where you were going!"

"I didn't have the time!"

"Whatever." I turn away from him and go back to the ostrich horse. "I'm going to sleep." I lay down with my back to him. I can sense him staring at me for a few minutes before walking off in the direction of the stream. Only then do I drift off.

**IMPORTANT: in case you missed my first AN, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO UPDATE AS REGULARLY. See above for details. That's all. Reviews are appreciated!**


	20. Symbiosi

**Hey! Well, it's a little shorter than most, but on the plus side, it's only a day late! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any characters except Aiko. I just interpret Sokka's drawings for the Mechanist.**

We're back into wooded area, no longer roaming the plains. We've fallen back into our monosyllables as well. Currently we're riding along a river. Or rather, Zuko's riding, and I'm walking. It's much cooler here.

"Aiko, look," Zuko halts the ostrich horse. I follow his pointing finger to a clump of white fur caught on a rock in the river. He dismounts and splashes into the river and picks up the clump. Parting it with his fingers, he examines it closely. "This is from the Avatar's bison!" he declares.

"So?" I ask.

"There's a trail." He wades to the other side. "Bring the ostrich horse." I tug the reins, placing my feet carefully on the slippery stones.

"Where are we going?" I ask hopefully once I reach the other side.

"We're following it," Zuko replies in a condescending tone.

"Zuko, please, no." He sets his jaw. Mounting, he grabs my arm and pulls me up halfway so I'm sitting sidesaddle. The ostrich horse takes off, and I grab onto Zuko to keep from falling off. I try to position myself less haphazardly, but that means letting go, and no way am I doing do that. I cling tighter, if that's even possible.

"Will you loosen up a little?" Zuko asks.

"I like not falling off and breaking something," I snap. I have to say I'm enjoying this a little. How often do you get to hug a physically attractive young man for an indefinite amount of time? Not often, if you don't have a boyfriend. Which I don't. And I've never had. And I'm a hormonal teenage girl. Give me a break already! We must ride like that for hours, and never once do I loosen my grip. The trail leads into a deserted town in the middle of nowhere.

Zuko pulls the ostrich horse to a halt. Dismounting, he hands me the reins. "Stay here," he commands.

"Yeah, right," I slide down. "I'm coming too."

"We don't know who else found that trail. It's safer for you to stay here."

"Did you forget who you're talking to? I am the girl who can turn anything into a weapon. I'm coming." I walk ahead of him. He marches ahead of me.

"Do you hear that? It's Azula," he whispers. He runs out into the street.

"What's an Azula?" I call after him. Stepping out of the alley, I come into a showdown between the Avatar, Zuko, and a girl in Fire Nation armor. Her hair is in an elegant bun, and her eyes are cold and calculating. I guess she's Azula, maybe? She pushes her fist forward, sending _blue_ flames towards Zuko and me. I'm dumbfounded. It's a good thing Zuko blocks it with flames of his own, although the blast throws us both back. We land on a porch, on top of each other. Zuko shoves me off.

"Pay attention," he growls. Standing up, he runs back into the fight, firing blasts at the Avatar. Sighing, I pull out my fans and see if I can help. Waving away spare blasts of flame, I see that the fight has moved to the rooftop. Where can I climb up? By the time I find a strategically placed window sill, they've moved from the roof, to the street, to inside a house, and then back out again. Sighing, I just lean against a building and watch. It's neat how the orange and blue blend together. I duck under a wave of flame that was fanned by the Avatar's blast of air. Doesn't he know better? Zuko is thrown back, and he doesn't get up. I run over to his side. He's unconscious, but doesn't seem to be injured in any way. I slap him lightly.

I glance around. It's not looking good for the Avatar, but then his friends show up. The girl bends water at Azula, effectively putting out her flames. What are their names? Katra? No, Katara. And the Avatar…starts with an "a"…oh yes, Aang! And the boy is Sohka? No, Sokka. Someone places their hand on my shoulder.

"Iroh!" I exclaim, leaping up. He smiles and takes my place, roughly shaking Zuko. Zuko's eyes flicker open.

"Uncle…," he groans.

"Get up!" Iroh says sharply. He pulls Zuko to his feet, and we run after the fight. Azula is running away from the Avatar's group, which has the added member of a little girl in green. Iroh, Zuko, and I dash forward, effectively blocking Azula into a corner. We're all in fighting stances, ready with our respective elements or weapons. I have my fans, avoiding water because for some reason, I don't want her to know that I'm a bender. Her eyes shift like a cornered animal's, but there's no fear in them.

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done. I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor," Azula raises her hands in a peaceful manner. Out of the blue, she blasts blue flames. At Iroh. He falls to the ground, screaming. I barely hear Zuko's cry over my shriek. We both run to Iroh's side. I drop to my knees as soon as I'm by him, pulling water out of my canteen.

"Get away from us!" Zuko yells at Aang and his friends, who've approached. In the back of my mind, I wonder where Azula went.

"Zuko, I can help," Katara says, stepping forward.

"Leave!" Zuko bends fire.

"It's alright, I've got this covered," I reassure her, holding up a hand coated in glowing water. I turn back to Iroh, placing my hands over the burn. Zuko drops down by my side.

"Is…is he going to be okay?" his voice trembles a little.

"Well, the blast was at a close proximity, so it's going to take a while to heal, even with my bending, but he'll be as good as new eventually. Now hush, it's best if I focus." I shoot Zuko a smile so he knows I'm not getting on to him. It drops when I realize he's holding back tears. Biting my lip, I turn back to Iroh, submerging myself in drawing chi to his chest to speed up the healing process. Finally, I pull back.

"I've done all I can for right now," I say, releasing the water. "We need to find a place to stay tonight." I point to a small building that had survived time and the recent fight. "Is that alright?" Zuko nods. "You carry Iroh. I'll go get the ostrich horse and our supplies." He picks up Iroh, who lets out a moan. Zuko stiffens. "It's okay. You can't help it. Just get him to the building." I jog to where we left the ostrich horse. Oh spirits, I hope he didn't run off! Fortunately, he's still there, grazing on the sparse vegetation. I take the reins, guiding him to our camp. I tie him up outside the door.

I walk inside. Iroh is lying under the window. "Look, I found bandages," Zuko says.

"Good thinking. Come help me make a sling." Together, we pull Iroh into a sitting position. Zuko holds him, and I wrap the bandages around the burn, and use the extra to tie Iroh's arm in place. Zuko leans him back, and I grab a blanket from our packs and cover Iroh with it. "I'm going to get firewood," I tell Zuko, briefly placing my hand on his shoulder. I walk outside and pick up branches from small bushes. I also get bundles of grass for the ostrich horse.

I pause at the doorway. Zuko is leaning over Iroh, his shoulders shaking, although no sound comes out. Carefully placing my load down, I walk to Zuko and wrap my arms around him. I don't say anything, just hug him until eventually he stops crying. His breathing has deepened, and I realize he's fallen asleep. I lay him back, grabbing blankets for us. I cover him, then curl up and go to sleep.

**Yeah...so, review! Also, if any of you are Young Justice fans, feel free to PM me about it. I would love to have a heart-to-heart with a random stranger. The feels from the last episode are killing me. Also, about the chapter title…I couldn't resist.**


	21. Overcome

**Hey! So the late update excuse is: chocolate overload Friday, and then no internet until now. But I have an entire week off from school, so you should have a chapter on time this week.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of the characters except Aiko. I just feed Bosco.**

I wake up to the sound of Zuko's muttering. Rolling over onto my side and propping myself up on an elbow, I spot him messing around with fire. I yawn and sit up all the way.

"What're ya doin'?" I mumble, wiping sleep from my eyes.

"Trying to make tea," he growls. "but the leaves won't steep!" I stand up and stretch, then walk over to see what the problem is. I note that there's no fire.

"You know the water has to be hot first, right? Like, boiling hot." He mumbles under his breath, turning his back to me. "I'll take that as a no." I go outside, intending to find food for the ostrich horse. I gather more leafy shrub branch things and dump them on the leftovers from last night. The ostrich horse slowly gets to its feet before chowing down. I scratch its neck before heading back inside.

"Want some?" I jump a little when I nearly run into Zuko, who's holding out tea in one of our metal cups. I take it, and almost gag at the smell. The fact that it's a suspicious dark green color doesn't help. I take a small sip and nearly choke. Zuko stares at me. I swallow, my stomach protesting.

"It's…interesting," I say with a weak smile. Satisfied, Zuko turns away, and I immediately dump the rest out of the door.

"How's Uncle?" he asks quietly. I squat down next to Iroh, taking water out of my canteen and prodding the burn with it.

"Better than yesterday. He should be waking up soon." I lean back until I'm sitting. "I forgot to ask, were you hurt yesterday?"

"Not really," Zuko shrugs.

"Not really isn't the same as no. Now tell me where it hurts." Sighing, he shows me a small burn on his left wrist. I wrap water around it, and within moments it's healed.

"I forget how easily waterbenders can treat things," he remarks, turning his wrist over to look at it.

"Only injuries that are fresh. If a bone's started to knit itself back together, we'd have to break it again first, and scars are a hopeless case." Zuko turns his head, and I wince at my words. "I'm sorry, were you expecting-"

"No," he cuts me off. I can tell a tiny part of him was, though. I'm saved from any awkward silences by Iroh stirring. With a grunt, he shoves himself up with his good hand. I watch him anxiously.

"Uncle…you were unconscious. Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack," Zuko tells him.

"Somehow that's not so surprising," Iroh remarks drily. He groans again, and I move forward with water. He waves me off. "Later."

Zuko holds out a cup of tea to him. "I hope I made it the way you like it." My eyes widen, and I shake my head. Iroh drinks anyway, a long gulp that drains the entire cup. He swallows, grimacing.

"That was very…uhh…bracing," he comes up with. Zuko allows himself a small smile, and hands Iroh another cup. As soon as Zuko's back is turned, Iroh throws it out the window.

"So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her," Zuko says.

"No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down." With a little difficulty, Iroh stands. "It's time to resume your training." He shuffles outside, Zuko and me trailing behind. I glance up at the sun, surprised to see that it's already into the afternoon. We all must have slept late.

"You get two hours before you have to rest again," I tell Iroh. "I'm going for a walk." I head off into the desert, stopping about half a mile from the town. It's time to start my training, too. I stretch first, then go through push-ups and sit-ups. By this time I've lathered up a nice sweat. I move on to acrobatics, pushing myself into splits and backbends, handstands and flips.

Then I pull out my fans. I revel in the sound of flicking them open, the familiar weight in my hands. I move through the forms, familiarizing myself with them again. If I close my eyes, I can pretend that I'm back on Kyoshi, with us all in full gear despite it being the middle of summer. But eventually I finish the last form, and I have to open my eyes again.

I glance at the sky for the time to find that clouds have rolled in while I was training. Their heavy gray appearance encourages me to finish the day with a jog back to camp. I arrive, panting, to find Iroh alone, standing in the doorway. A few drops start to fall, and I hustle him inside.

"Time for another healing!" I announce. He sits down, and I peel back the bandages. The blisters are gone, leaving a bright redness. I pull water out and place it over the burn. "Where's Zuko?" I ask glancing around. Pulling the water back, I look at his skin, which is as good as new.

"He went for a ride," Iroh mumbles.

"In this weather?"

"He wanted to find lightning."

"Why?"

Iroh looks away. "To try and redirect it."

"Is he crazy?" I yell. "I'm going after him. Don't move." I run out of the house, the rain coming down in buckets now. Vague imprints in the dirt lead off in the direction I was in earlier. I follow them, clothes and hair soaked in an instant. Rain drips in my eyes, blurring my vision. I swipe it away angrily.

"Of all the selfish, immature things-urgh!" I mumble. I speed up, determined to find Zuko and maybe beat some sense into him. I smile at the thought. I run on, the trail leading me up into hills, which get steeper and steeper. I slow down, focusing on where I'm placing my feet. Eventually I'm forced to a walk, the only tracks appearing every once in a while on a small patch of dirt. How did they even get up here?

I crest a hill right as Zuko starts speaking.

"You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it, and now I can give it back!" I realize he's talking to nobody in particular. "Come on, strike me! You've never held back before!" My anger shrinks a little. He yells, and I back away, knowing this is a private moment. Rocks shift under my foot, and I let out a little squawk before righting myself. Zuko spins around, fire flaring briefly in his hands before dying down. "Oh. It's you," he says in a monotonous voice. I walk forward, sitting next to him.

"Yeah. Me." I stare out into the distance with him, not that there's much to stare at. The rain is still pouring down, maybe even more so than before. I look back at Zuko. Rain is pouring down his face, and his eyes are closed. Without really thinking, I reach up and wipe water from his face. But it's warm. That's when I realize it's crying. I wrap my arms around him.

"Do you know about panda lilies?" I ask. I feel him shake his head. "They're some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. But they only grow on volcanoes. They live in the harshest climates, but because of it, they come out the prettiest. You're a panda lily, Zuko. You're going through a lot. But you're going to come out the better for it." We stay in that one place for a long time, me hugging him as he silently cries. Eventually he sighs, pulling away. I let him.

We walk back to the ostrich horse, squishing along. I'm beyond cold now, into that sort of numbness you get. Well, that can't be good. I climb into my usual spot in front of him, immediately leaning back to soak up his warmth. The ostrich horse starts picking his way down the hill, and I drift off to sleep. My last thought was that for the first time, I didn't flinch at the sound of lightning.

**Review, please!**


	22. On Our Way

**I am not as quite as late as usual, because I'm posting this Monday morning instead of Monday evening. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any characters besides Aiko. I just teach music to Fire Nation kids.**

_**Aiko**_

It's been a little over a week since meeting Azula, and we set out yesterday, travelling all day. We've left the plains, moving into the forests from before. It's about midday when Iroh starts groaning.

"Are you alright?" I ask from my position by the ostrich horse. "Maybe we need to stop for another healing." I don't like having to move Iroh so soon, even though all that should be left is a little soreness, but Zuko insisted. He said that it would be dangerous to stay in the same place, where Azula could find us.

"Maybe we should just make camp," Zuko suggests.

"No, please, don't stop just for me!" Iroh protests. I roll my eyes.

"Iroh, either you want to stop or not, make up your mind," I tell him.

"Keep going," he replies. After a few more moments, though, he starts moaning again. Zuko pulls the ostrich horse to a halt. We exchange looks of annoyance as Iroh dismounts, shuffling over to sit down on a rock. I join him, pulling water out of the canteen.

"Let me look at your shoulder," I command. Iroh pulls the sleeve of his robe down, and I gingerly prod it. Zuko dismounts, and the ostrich horse squawks. My head shoots up as Zuko slides into a bending form.

"What now?" Iroh whines. A group of men, all on war rhinos, come out of the trees and surround us. Iroh joins Zuko, and I follow, water hovering around my fingertips. "Colonel Mongke! What a pleasant surprise!" Iroh says cordially.

"If you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps," the lead man, Mongke, sneers. His men tense, their hands straying to their weapons. I see a ball and chain wielder, an archer, an explosions expert, and a guy with a halberd.

"You know these guys?" Zuko asks, surprise evident in his voice.

"Sure. Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapon specialist. They are also a very capable singing group," Iroh replies. Mongke raises his fist. I guess he's a firebender.

" We're not here to give a concert. We're here to apprehend fugitives!" Mongke shouts. He sure knows his comebacks.

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kachi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?" Iroh smiles, always the friend maker. Somehow I doubt it will work this time.

"Enough stalling! Round 'em up!" Mongke barks. Everyone bursts into action. My first step is to soak the explosives guy's packs in the rest of my water. Let's see him try and blow us up now. I call the water from the other canteens in our packs, swirling it around me. I run at the man with the halberd.

I sling ice darts at him. He twirls his halberd, blocking a few, but most scratch his face or arms. I aim a water whip at his rhino's hindquarters, spooking it and making it run off, the man holding onto the saddle for dear life. I turn to the rest of the fight. The archer and man with ball and chain are down for the count, and the explosives expert is rummaging in his packs. Now there's only Mongke left. Zuko knocks him off the rhino. He moves to get up, but I coat him in ice.

"These are _my_ friends. Only I get to hurt them," I growl. Iroh charges up on the ostrich horse, his arm held out. I grab his hand and swing up behind him. We pass a rhino, and Zuko leaps on as well. I hope the ostrich horse can hold us all. The explosives expert chases after us on his rhino and throws something. It explodes right in front of us. Oops. Looks like I didn't get everything….Iroh kicks the ostrich horse, keeping it moving through the smoke.

"It's nice to see old friends," Iroh comments.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to hurt you," Zuko replies.

"Hmmm... Old friends that don't want to attack me...," Iroh muses. I notice he's clutching his shoulder.

"We need to stop again," I say. "Also, we need more water."

"I have just the place in mind," Iroh beams. Sighing, I settle in for the ride. Which means leaning back against Zuko and shifting around for several minutes to get ready for naptime. I finally get in a good position, and close my eyes.

"Comfortable?" Zuko asks drily.

"Yes. You're warm," I murmur, slouching against him more. He sighs, right in my ear, and wraps his arms around me so I don't fall off. I doze on and off during the ride.

I wake up to Zuko getting off, effectively making me get off as well, albeit slightly less graceful than him. I glare up at him from the ground, spitting out dust.

"You could have said my name. Or tried to shake me," I snap, pushing myself up and beating out as much dirt from my clothes as I can.

"I tried that," he replies.

"Not hard enough," I grumble. I take a look around. We're in a rundown town, if you could call it that, with a chunk of ice in the middle. I grab our canteens and walk over, melting ice and filling them. I head back to the ostrich horse, who's tied in front of a building. I put two of the canteens pack in our packs, and the third over my shoulder. Zuko is waiting in front of the door, arms crossed.

"Ready?" he asks.

"Yeah," I grin. Walking past him into the building, I flick his forehead, smiling as his yelp. "Revenge!" I shout, drawing a few odd looks from other patrons. I join Iroh at a table in the back. Zuko sits down next to me, flicking his eyes around the room.

"No one here is going to help us. These people just look like filthy wanderers," hey says not very quietly. A few people closer to us glare.

"Don't be rude," I hiss.

"So do we," Iroh points out. "Ah, this is interesting. I think I found our friend." He points, and Zuko and I crane our necks. It's a man at a Pai Sho table.

"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?" Zuko grumbles. I shake my head in disbelief.

"I don't think this is a gamble," Iroh smiles mysteriously and gets up. Zuko and I look at each other for a moment, then follow. "May I have this game?" he asks the man. The man smiles, and Iroh sits down.

"The guest has the first move," he says. Iroh places a tile in the center of the board. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." He cups his hands.

"Those who do can always find a friend," Iroh smiles, returning the gesture.

"Then let us play." They place tiles on the table with blinding speed, almost like they know what they're going to do beforehand. When they finish, the tiles form the shape of a flower. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

"What are you two old gasbags talking about?" Zuko snaps.

"Zuko!" I scold, slapping the back of his head. "Respect your uncle!"

"I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho was more than just a game," Iroh comments, toying with a tile. A bulky man with stringy hair stomps over.

"It's over! You fugitives are coming with me!" he yells. I'm a fugitive? Cool. The Pai Sho man steps in front of us.

"I knew it!" he announces loudly. "You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!" My hands drift toward my fans, ready for a fight.

"I thought you said he would help us," Zuko hisses.

"He is. Just watch," Iroh replies.

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?" the man continues.

"Gold?" someone asks.

"Uh…maybe we shouldn't," Stringy Hair's friend says. A full-on fight breaks out. The man drags us out in the chaos, outside and down the street. He leads us to another building at the edge of town. Taking us inside, he closes the door, taking away the main source of light. The room is dimly lit by lamps, and cool. There are also lots of plants.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets," the man says reverently to Iroh. I shake my head in disbelief. Who knew Iroh was in a secret club?

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is someone in this club going to offer some real help?" Zuko snips. I roll my eyes. Who raised him, wild platypus bears?

"You must forgive my nephew," Iroh apologizes. "He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts." The man leads us to the back of the store, where there's another door with a little peephole in it. He knocks twice, and someone slides open the peephole.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate?" the man on the other side asks.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries," Iroh replies. Ugh, this is so confusing. The second man opens the door, allowing the first man and Iroh in. Zuko moves to follow, but they slam the door on him. Iroh smiles out of the peephole.

"I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here," he orders. Zuko sighs and wanders around the shop, sniffing flowers. I walk in the opposite direction, enjoying the riotous colors and smells. I pause as a flash of black and white catches my eye. I step closer, squinting in the dim light. It's a panda lily. I smile before calling for Zuko.

"What is it?" he walks over.

"Look," I reply softly. "It's a panda lily." He stares for a moment, puzzled, before understanding comes into his eyes. He smiles, and my grin grows wider. He picks up the pot and hands it to me.

"Thanks," he says. I laugh and rest my head on his shoulder for a moment. His arms automatically wrap around me, and I freeze. What am I doing? I pull away and place the pot back on the table before walking away. I slump down to the floor, leaning against a pillar, and close my eyes. It seems like only seconds when a door squeaks open. I shoot up.

"What's going on? Is the club meeting over?" Zuko asks. I yawn and rub my eyes.

"Everything is taken care of," Iroh replies. "We're heading to Ba Sing Se." My eyes pop open. Wow, the capital. That must've taken some serious influence.

"Ba Sing Se?" Zuko questions. "Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"

"The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice two more," the club member says.

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city," Iroh adds. A young man comes in, holding papers.

"I have passports for the two men, and I pulled the girl's documents, but there are two men out on the street looking for them," he says. My eyes widen. I'd bet anything that it's the two men from earlier.

"We must hurry," the member says. "This way." He leads us outside, where there's a cart with three giant jars on it. "Climb inside." I take the lid off one and hesitantly sniff. Not too bad, just dirt. I climb inside, shifting around as the member closes the lid on me. We ride for what feels like a long time because of my cramped position and the jarring ride, but is probably only a few minutes.

Someone opens the lid, and I blink in the sudden light. I stand up and stretch, grateful to be out. I carefully step out of the jar and onto the sand, not wanting to trip.

"Here is a map, some food, and money," the man tells Iroh, handing him everything. "Good luck." And with that he takes the cart and starts heading back to town. Iroh is the first one to move, heading away from the sun to Ba Sing Se. I follow, then Zuko.


	23. Trouble Brewing

**Hey! After exactly three months, I'm back! Thanks for being so patient with me. Because there was the musical, then pulling my grades up, and awards ceremonies, and prepping for finals, and…yeah, you're most likely a student, you understand. But this chapter is nice and long to make up for it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its characters. I just unknot Ty Lee's braid.**

_**Aiko**_

I stare straight ahead, enjoying the breeze coming off of the bay. We'd been traveling for about a week and a half from the desert to Full Moon Bay, where the ferries to Ba Sing Se are. I'm a little excited to see my nation's capital. I had never left Kyoshi Island before I met Zuko, so despite the miserable conditions most of the time, I've enjoyed this semi-forced trip.

Craning my neck, I catch a glimpse of blue water and a snippet of a ferry leaving. "I just saw a boat!" I announce.

"Yes, we've very close," Iroh smiles tiredly. I look him up and down. Non-stop traveling hasn't been good for him.

"Why don't we stop and eat, then?" I suggest. "What do you think, Zuko?" Zuko turns around, glancing at Iroh. He frowns slightly, and nods. We go to the side of the road and sit down on rocks. I pull food out of my pack and pass it around. We've been careful to ration ourselves during our trip.

I lean back and bite into an apple. "So what are we going to do in Ba Sing Se?"

"Find a place to stay, get jobs. Make a home," Iroh replies, smiling at the thought. I smile too. It'll be nice to stay in one place. "Save for a tea shop, get new clothes, meet a girl," he adds, glancing slyly at Zuko. I frown, glancing down at my apple. Suddenly I'm not very hungry anymore.

Zuko and Iroh finish eating quickly, and we pack up. After a few more minutes of walking the whole bay comes into view. Shaking off my uneasiness, I jog to catch up with Zuko.

"I'll race you," I tell him. He glances back at Iroh, who makes shooing motions with his hands. I take off, smiling at Zuko's shout of protest. He quickly catches up to me. I push myself harder, inching forward. We go back and forth in leading, glancing at each other now and then. The entrance to the cave appears before us. I cut my eyes to Zuko and smile before finding another burst of speed. We pass the first big cluster of rocks at the same time, slowing down without speaking. Panting, I sit down, reaching out and pulling Zuko down with me. We don't say anything, but he stares at me for a longs time. I shift nervously under his gaze.

"What is it?" I finally ask.

"Why are you still here?" he replies bluntly.

"What, don't you like me?" I smile, nudging him lightly.

"Urgh, no, that wasn't- I didn't-"

"It's alright, I know what you mean." My smile slips away. "I don't know, really. I…I feel like Suki and the others, we wouldn't be so close anymore. And I don't mind traveling with you and Iroh. I kind of like it, actually. So…," I trail off with a shrug. "What about you? Given up chasing the avatar?"

He frowns. "No. He's my only change of going back home, of fixing everything." He looks away. I place my hand on his arm.

"Zuko…just remember that you have to decide where home is. No one else does." He pulls away. "Sorry," I whisper. I can barely hear myself, but from his quick glance, Zuko heard too. He opens his mouth to speak, but just then Iroh comes into view.

"So, who won?" he grins good-naturedly.

"I think we tied. Come on, we need to get on the next ferry," I tell him. I hop up and lead the way to the cave entrance. A guard approaches, tensed and ready for a fight.

"Identification please," he states monotonously. We all dig out our identification papers. He scans them, glancing at us every once in a while. I have to stop myself from fidgeting. Finally, he hands us back our papers. "Continue." We walk on, joining the small crowd of people waiting for the gates to open. Two men walk up and bend open the cliff face, revealing a large tunnel. We walk through into a large cave, crowded with tents and people. Children weave in and out of adults, babies cry, and the smell of food floats through the air. Everyone's faces have the same worn-out look.

I stop to let Iroh take the lead, like a good little Earth Kingdom girl should. I sigh. Time to be weak again. I fall in place one step behind Zuko, staring at the ground and only looking at people out of the corner of my eye. Iroh takes us through the throng of people, which slowly grows larger. At one point two men block my way and when I shove through them I can't see Zuko and Iroh.

"Zu-Lee?" I call out. "Mushi?" I twist around, trying to spot them. I see a guard in the distance and start to head over. Huh, she looks familiar…wait, that's Jade! I duck and run in the opposite direction, ignoring people's protests. I stop and look around for any other people from Kyoshi. I know. Someone grabs my wrist and I jump.

"Calm down." I relax, it's just Zuko. His hand slips down into mine as he guides me to where Iroh is waiting by the ticket booth. The attendant's frown makes my smile shrink.

"Is this your fiancée?" she asks Zuko. I stiffen.

"Yes, it is," Iroh butts in.

"What are you doing?" I hiss in Zuko's ear.

"They'd only let us on if we were related," he whispers back. I smile like we're exchanging sweet nothings.

"Well act like we're engaged!" He awkwardly wraps his arm around my waist and I lean into him. The lady hands Iroh three tickets and points the way to the ferry. As soon as she's out of sight Zuko and I break away, making faces at one another. A guard is on the gangplank, inspecting tickets.

"Next!" he calls out. We step forward and hand him our tickets. He glances briefly at them before waving us on. We wander around until we find an empty spot on the first level where we spread our blankets to mark it as ours.

"I'll go get food," I say, standing up. I walk a few steps before Zuko catches up to me. I look at him out of the corner of my eye.

"You'll need help carrying everything," he tells me. "Besides, the fact that we're engaged is on the tickets, so now the guards know." I redden.

"Why exactly did you pick that?" I question.

"Would you rather be engaged to Iroh?" he replies. I scrunch my nose.

"Well if we're engaged…" I slide up underneath his arm. "…we have to act like it." I smile at him like I've seen girls on Kyoshi do when they like a boy. It's his turn to blush. I laugh and lean in. "Come on, we had better get food." We go up the stairs to where the galley is located and grab three bowls of slop. I wrinkle my nose at the smell. Zuko's reaction is the same, and I can feel a bout of complaints coming, so I hurry him back to our little spot. Iroh is gazing out at where Ba Sing Se will appear.

I look around curiously while setting down the bowl I'm carrying. Lots of families are around us. I smile at a little girl sitting by herself who waves back. I think for a moment before grabbing a pear from my pack and walking over to her. Kneeling, I hold out the piece of fruit.

"I'm Aiko, what's your name?" I smile, catching her eye.

"Sayuri," she grins back, tentatively taking the fruit.

"Where's your family?" I ask, hoping she isn't an orphan.

"They're getting food." She looks over my shoulder and her face brightens. "There they are now!" She dashes off to attach herself to the legs of a man whose laugh lines are just as deep as his worry lines.

"Look what my new friend gave me!" she exclaims, holding up the pear. Sayuri's parents look at me, eyes widening in surprise. My hand slides up and tugs my braid nervously. I take a deep breath and let go.

"I'm Aiko," I say. "It's nice to meet you."

The woman recovers first. "I'm Tomoko and this is my husband, Arata." We bow to each other. Sayuri watches us intently.

"But look what Aiko gave me!" she repeats, thrusting the pear in her father's face. He chuckles and pushes it back a little so he can see it.

"What a lovely present!" he tells her. "We can eat it after dinner. Will you help Mommy carry the food back?" Sayuri nods and carefully takes the bowl he hands her. Mother and daughter walk back to the blankets. "You didn't have to do that," he says, turning to me.

"I wanted to," I reply. "Besides, it would have gone bad in a few days. And it looks like Sayuri will enjoy it more than I would."

He places a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you. Will you come say good-bye before heading back to your family?" I nod, and we walk over to the blankets.

"So are you traveling by yourself Aiko?" Tomoko asks, pulling out a knife to slice the pear with.

"No, I'm with my fiancé and his uncle." I turn to point out Zuko and Iroh. There are three people standing with them.

"I wish you one hundred years of good companionship," Tomoko recites the traditional wedding blessing.

"Thank you," I smile distractedly. "I had better go back now. I'll come and visit again, though." I direct the last bit at Sayuri. Waving, I start walking to Zuko, Iroh, and our mysterious visitors. Details come into view as I get closer. Two tall figures, one with shaggy hair and hook swords and the other with a hat and quiver of arrows, and a shorter figure with very short hair and a slight potbelly. Memories stir. The smell of burned flesh, the touch of cool water, long fingers correcting my position, and lips on mine.

The Freedom Fighters.

I stop in my tracks, a wave of cold washing over me. I fight the impulse to jump overboard and swim to Ba Sing Se. _"Breathe. In, out."_ I sigh. I can either avoid them until the threesome leaves, or go and join the group. But Zuko and Iroh don't know it's the Freedom Fighters. They don't know how much Jet is obsessed, and how devoted Smellerbee and Longshot are to him. I have to warn them.

With one more deep breath, I start walking again. Which role to play? I choose the one of excited girl about to be married, one who sees some old friends. I pull a grin onto my face and break into a run.

"Lee!" I shout, nearly tackling Zuko in a hug. He recovers quickly though, even picking me up and twirling me around. "I just met the nicest family, you _have_ to come visit them with me." I glance at Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot, pretending to just see them. I smile, throwing myself at Smellerbee and Longshot and squeezing them tight. "You guys! Are you going to Ba Sing Se too?"

"Aiko?" Smellerbee looks at me. "You have a boyfriend?"

"Fiancé, actually." I glance up at Zuko who wraps his arm around me.

"I guess I don't get a hug then, huh?" Jet smirks. I stare at him, letting the sentence hang. "Well, Lee, you can thank me for Aiko being such a great kisser." The two boys glare at each other.

"Lee, can I talk to you?" I tug Zuko a few feet away. "Zuko, they're some of the Freedom Fighters." He frowns, trying to remember. "After you burned me, remember?" I tug my sleeve off my wrist, revealing a little of my scar.

He glares at Jet. "Oh. Him."

"Yeah, you don't have to be nice to him. But try to be polite to Smellerbee and Longshot. They're good people." We rejoin the group, where Iroh is entertaining the trio with a fictional story of how Zuko literally fell head over heels for me. I laugh and shake my head.

"Mushi, I don't think Lee really wants that story getting around."

"It's no problem," Jet quips, glancing at me. Without thinking, I stretch on my tiptoes and kiss Zuko on the cheek. An instant later we're both bright red, and I feel like kicking myself. "So we'll see you later tonight, right?" Zuko hesitates, then nods. The Freedom Fighters walk off, and I turn on Zuko.

"Later tonight?" I repeat. "What's later tonight?"

"Getting better food," Zuko mutters.

"Stealing?" I hiss. "I thought we were past this."

"I already promised Aiko. I can't go back on my word now."

"Whatever." I shake my head and take a few steps back. "I'm going for a walk. Don't bring me anything." I walk away, head held at an indignant angle. I wander the boat until I find a spot under the stairs that no one is by. I pull out my fans, easily sliding into a stance despite being out of practice. I move into another one, and another, until I'm moving around the entire area, fighting imaginary enemies. Going through the familiar routine, I let my mind wander. It comes to rest on how I ran from Jade earlier.

Jade was my way home, or at least back to the girls. I know she'd never quit the Kyoshi Warriors until she absolutely had to. She didn't look sick or injured, so the others were probably there too. I push myself for an answer. It's because I'm afraid of how they'll treat me for tagging along with the person responsible for burning down our village, for calling him a friend. With a snarl of frustration I finish with a twirl and kick combination. I freeze at the sound of slow applause.

"Still as good as ever," a figure comments, stepping into the light. Jet. I automatically move into a defensive stance, ready for an attack. "Relax, Aiko, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Isn't that what you said last time?" I quip, relaxing slightly, but not by much.

"I want to talk to you about Lee," he tells me, moving closer. I take a few steps back in response.

"What about Lee?" I ask warily.

"You don't think I know?"

"Know what?" I move even farther back until my head bumps against the underside of the stairs.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out." With every word, Jet takes a few steps forward. "You show up a few months ago, crying with a huge burn on your arm." He grabs my arm and jerks it up, revealing the shape of Zuko's hand fully. "I saw you walk off with some man in armor. And now you just appear out of nowhere with a scar-faced boy with a temper, who's hands are roughly the same size as your burn? It's easy to tell that they're…," he leans closer, his lips brushing my ears,"…_Fire Nation_." Chills race up my body, and I can't help but shudder.

"Y-you're wrong," I stutter. He gives a short, bitter laugh.

"We both know that I'm not. And when I get real proof, your _friends_," his lips curl into a sneer on the word, "will end up dead. And you'll be put in jail, for being a traitor to the nation. Unless you tell me who they really are now." I look at him, his eyes full of obsession, and I know he won't stop until one of us is dead.

"Let go," I say in a hard tone. "Let go, or I'll scream." Jet doesn't move, and I open my mouth.

"Aiko?" someone calls. Jet drops my arm and steps back, and I quickly slide my fans back into their sheaths. "Aiko, it's me, Arata."

"Hello, Arata." I smile and sidestep around Jet, grateful for the rescue.

"Is he bothering you?" Arata asks in a carrying voice, nodding at Jet. Before I can answer, Jet steps forward.

"No sir. We're just old friends." Arata grumbles under his breath. "I'll take her back to her family right now." Jet places a seemingly gentle hand on my shoulder, when in reality his fingers are painfully digging into my skin. I follow his guidance. True to his word, he takes me back to Zuko and Iroh, stopping a bit away.

"Let go," I mutter again, staring straight ahead.

"Just remember what I said," he whispers before walking away.

**Whoo! Long chapter. But I can't think of anything else to say except review please!**


	24. Journey's End

**Hey! Despite writing the majority of this late at night, I'm still posting it on time. But that won't happen next week, since I'm going on a mission trip to a place with no internet.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters, I just pick up Bosco's scat.**

_**Aiko**_

I walk, trancelike, to Zuko and Iroh.

"Is something wrong Aiko?" Iroh asks.

"Jet knows," I whisper.

"Knows what?" Zuko asks.

"What do you think?" I snarl, anger coursing through me. "He knows _where you're from_."

"Well this is an unfortunate development," Iroh sighs.

"If you two had just stayed away from strangers, we wouldn't be in this situation," I grumble.

"It could've been your fault just as much!" Zuko shouts.

"Excuse me? Not only did I avoid strangers, I managed to avoid people who are like my sisters!"

"What?" Zuko asks.

"The Kyoshi Warriors were at Full Moon Bay. I saw one of my friends. I could have left. But I didn't because I care about you and Iroh more!" No one speaks. I sigh and turn away.

"I'm sor-" I cut Iroh's apology off with a quick gesture.

"It's fine. What do we need to do now?" I ask the retired general.

"We continue on under our guises. So far Jet has no definite proof for his accusations."

"I'd better get ready for the raid then," Zuko mutters, his eyes flicking to me.

"For once, I'm okay with this," I joke, managing to give a small smile. Zuko walks off to meet Smellerbee, Longshot, and Jet.

"You're not really fine, are you Aiko?" Iroh asks gently.

I tense, then sigh. "No."

"Do you wish you had gone with your friends?"

"I-I don't think so?" I sit down. "When I saw Jade, my first instinct was to run."

"Why is that?" Iroh sits down as well.

"I don't knoooooow," I moan, leaning back until my head rests against the deck. Iroh just looks at me, waiting. I prop myself up on my elbows. "Maybe…maybe my priorities changed?"

"You came to care more about us than about them," Iroh states carefully.

"Does that make me a bad person?"

"No. People make new friends, and they move on from old ones. But you will always have memories of those friends."

"I guess so." I sit up again, fidgeting until I'm comfortable.

Iroh smiles. "One day you'll understand." I shrug. Jet walks up, tossing a loaf of bread at me. I catch it, along with two oranges and a pear. I hand everything to Iroh.

"You aren't hungry, Aiko?" Jet asks with a little smile.

"You know how I feel about raids," I reply with a cold glare. "Besides, I think I have something." I reach out, fingers stretching to grab my pack. I find purchase and drag it over to me. I pull out the apple from earlier. The exposed flesh is browning, and there's some dirt rubbed into it, but I've had worse.

"I'll go pass out the rest of the food," Jet announces. I don't answer, just pick at the dirt on my apple with a fingernail. He leaves, and Iroh begins to eat. The other three come over and sit down. No one speaks, although the silence isn't awkward. But it isn't comfortable either. It's just there.

"So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man," Iroh remarks, trying to make conversation. I tense, ready for the explosion.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a man…I'm a girl!" Smellerbee shouts before storming off.

"Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" Iroh calls after, trying to make peace a little too late. Longshot gets up and follows the irate girl.

"You've done it now," I tell Iroh with a laugh. He chuckles along with me.

"Yes, I suppose I'll have to make it up to her in some way." I see Jet walking over and stand up. I hold my hand out to Zuko, wiggling my fingers. He looks at me with a surprised expression but stands up and takes my hand.

"Come on, let's take a walk." He follows me, his hand starting to slip out of mine when we're a few feet away from Iroh. I tighten my grip, not letting go. "Engaged, remember?" I whisper.

"Oh. Yeah," he mutters. After a few moments he speaks again. "How do you know how to act?" I look at him askance.

"I am a girl, Zuko. I know how people act when they love someone." We stop at the rail and I lean against it, tilting my head to the moon.

"But this seems…more natural," he pursues.

"Okay, so I may have liked a guy."

"Really?" he asks with an incredulous tone.

"Is that so hard to believe?" I giggle.

"I dunno. You just seem so…"

"Friends only? Yeah, I know. He was a jerk anyway. But enough about me. What about you? Broke any hearts when you left?" I tease, nudging him with my elbow.

"I think so," he replies seriously. My smile fades.

"What was her name?"

"Mai. She's one of my sister's friends."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Muffled footsteps approach us, and we both look up to see Jet.

"I'm going to bed now, Lee. Don't stay out too late," I tell Zuko loudly enough for Jet to hear. I throw my arms around him in a quick hug and walk off, passing Jet without a word. When I reach our little area, Iroh is already asleep, so I curl up on my bedroll and pull the blanket over myself, the gentle rocking of the barge lulling me to sleep.

_**Zuko**_

I shift impatiently in the crowd forming at the spot where we'll disembark. We're only a few minutes from landing, and I'm ready to get off, away from Jet. Uncle and Aiko come and stand next to me, disgruntled refugees shifting to make room for them. I slip my arm around Aiko's small frame, initiating the contact for once. She tenses a little, but quickly relaxes and leans into me.

"You smell nice," she murmurs, almost to herself. I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. That had to have been part of the act, right? There's a bump when the barge hits the dock, and I'm glad I had my feet planted. Aiko lurches forward a little, along with most of the crowd, and I pull her closer. Shouts of dock workers and sailors fill the air as they work together to secure the barge, along with a sudden outbreak of chatter from the crowd. We begin slowly inching forward, forming into a clumped and crooked line. I separate from Aiko to lead the way through the crowd. With a little pushing and shoving, we make it to the front fairly quickly.

"Next!" a worker yells, her voice already harsh and rough. Iroh herds us forward and gives the woman a smile. She just glares at him, so he quickly pulls out our tickets. She looks at them intently, then back at us. "So it's Mr….Mushy, your nephew Mr. Lee, and his fiancée Miss Aiko?"

"Fiancée? That must be a mistake, I'm her guardian. And it's pronounced Mushi." Aiko looks at me, confused. Surely she didn't think we would just keep pretending to be engaged, did she?

"You telling me how to do my job?" the woman asks grouchily.

"Uh, no, no," Uncle apologizes. "But may I just say that you're like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating." He smiles flirtatiously, and I gag.

"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, handsome. Raorr! Welcome to Ba Sing Se." Aiko pales and turns away. The woman hands Uncle our tickets and I snatch mine from his hand.

"I'm going to forget I saw that," I mutter. We head over to the train station and sit down on a bench while we wait. I can see Jet and his two friends, and I know Aiko can too. Jet heads our way, and she quickly turns her gaze to the tracks. I keep staring at him, hoping he'll go away.

"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" Jet asks casually. Aiko is determinedly staring straight ahead, and Uncle is distracted by a tea vendor, so I guess it's up to me to answer. I shrug and give a noncommittal grunt.

"Bleh, this tea is cold!" Uncle exclaims.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Jet asks me, jerking his head away from Uncle and Aiko so I know he means privately. Reluctantly, I stand and follow him out of earshot.

"Aiko told us what you think we are," I state bluntly. "And we're not. So leave us alone." I turn on my heel and walk back to the bench. Uncle glances up at me from his cup of tea, which is now steaming. I stiffen, resisting the urge to turn around and see if Jet noticed as well. Hurrying forward, I slap the tea out of his hand.

"Hey!" Uncle protests.

"What are you doing firebending your tea? For a wise, old man, that was a pretty stupid move!" I scold.

"Zuko, I waterbent it for him," Aiko sighs.

"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but it's just so sad!" Uncle sniffs.

"I'm sorry, Uncle," I mutter, trying to stop him before he really gets into it. Just then the train pulls up, saving us from any further theatrics. A group of rowdy young men get on right in front of us, so I push Aiko into the seat between Uncle and me. She rolls her eyes, but doesn't protest. Uncle leans over the baby his neighbor is holding.

"What a handsome baby," he remarks, stroking the child's cheek.

"Thank you," the mother smiles.

"He's right," Aiko joins in. "What's its name?"

"Her name is Hope."

"May I?" Aiko asks, holding her arms out a little. The mother hesitates, and Aiko quickly withdraws. "Sorry."

"No, it's alright." Carefully, the woman places the baby in Aiko's arms. Aiko holds the infant close, smiling when it turns towards her.

"Look, isn't she precious?" she asks me. Just then, the baby opens her eyes, revealing their dark brown coloring. She yawns sleepily, and Aiko beams like it's her own child she's holding. Looking down at her, I'm struck by a glimpse of Aiko in later years, with a family of her own. She smiles at me again, and I realize I've been staring. After a few more moments, Aiko hands the child back to her mother. "Thank you, she's an adorable baby."

The mother smiles and starts fussing over the blankets. I turn away and stare out the window at the approaching Inner Wall. Despite myself, my stomach turns from nerves. I frown. I shouldn't be here, thinking about other people's families and the Earth Kingdom capital. I need to be chasing the avatar. My thoughts drift to Azula, and whether she's had any more luck than I did. Probably not, otherwise I would have heard about it. Everyone would know about the avatar's death. Sighing, I tilt my head back to wait for our arrival.

** Tada! Well, please review. Again, no update next week because I won't have internet. Also, I want to bring up this point: I have changed as a person, and I now respect Mai as a person, and am indifferent to Maiko as a ship. Sometimes I even enjoy it. Mai is who Bryke thought would be best for Zuko, and I respect their decision. Thanks to the guest reviewer for pointing out that I was rather vehement in my hatred. I wrote that AN at the beginning of my fanhood, when you're very passionate about which characters you do and don't like. However, I've grown as a fan, and I DO NOT hate Mai anymore, and I will go back and change that AN. That being said, this is not my way of saying I'm ending this story. I AM STILL CONTINUING THIS STORY. **

** That is all, have a nice break/end of school year.**


	25. Make New Friends

**Another update! Whoo! Not much to say, so read on!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of its characters. I just help Iroh rehabilitate thieves.**

_**Aiko**_

I step to the side of the crowd of people coming of the train after me and stretch while waiting for Zuko and Iroh to come out. Twisting from side to side, I catch a glimpse of Jet getting out of a train car further down. Frowning, I turn my back to him.

"Come, Aiko," Iroh commands kindly as he steps out of the car. "We have to find a place to stay before nightfall." I fall in step beside him, Zuko coming up on my right. The throng of people in front of us disperses in different directions as more side streets open up, and I'm finally able to see our new home. My eyes skim over shadowed alleys with glinting knives, and glinting beady eyes much closer to the ground. There are stalls with small vegetables and dirty clothes for sale, the vendors yelling at each other as snot-nosed kids filch items here and there.

"Definitely a fixer-upper," I mutter to myself. But despite the overall horrible atmosphere, I catch sight of little things that cheer my spirit. A boy sharing his bread with a younger sister, a couple strolling hand in hand, a girl my age carrying an old woman's bags. "But not bad," I conclude. I look at Iroh to see his reaction, but he's disappeared. I quickly turn in the other direction to make sure I didn't lose Zuko as well, but he's there.

"Where did Ir…Mushi go?" I ask. His gaze snaps to me.

"Huh?"

"Off in spirit land, are we?" I tease. "I asked where Mushi went."

"I…well…he mentioned something about a job?" he replies, fumbling for an answer. I sigh.

"I guess we keep heading down the main road then," I suggest. He nods and we continue walking. "So what were you thinking about?"

"Home."

"Our new one? Or…" I pause, letting my sentence fish for answers.

"My original home."

"Well you can't go back now, so I wish you would stop harping on it!" I snap. I march ahead, chin lifted defiantly. We walk like this for a few minutes, but already I can feel the angry flames in my heart dying. I hardly ever stay mad at people for long. I pause for a beat to fall back in step with Zuko, glancing at him. "Sorry," I say. "It wasn't my place to say anything." Zuko gives a noncommittal grunt and shrug, but doesn't reply.

"Which way?" he asks as we come up to an intersection. I bite my lip, trying to decide. One wrong turn and we could lose Iroh forever.

"Lee, Aiko!" a familiar voice calls from the left. I sigh in relief. Iroh comes toward us, holding a vase of giant orange flowers. "I found us jobs and an apartment! Just follow me," Iroh smiles. We fall in on either side of him, heading back the way he came. Zuko makes a point of stare at the flowers. "I just want our place to look nice, in case anyone brings home a _friend_!" Iroh explains with a sly smile.

I just laugh and roll my eyes, but Zuko huffs unhappily. "This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here."

"Life happens whether you make it or not," Iroh says sagely. "Now come on, we should go by the apartment before heading to work."

"What kind of flowers are these?" I ask, sniffing appreciatively. They smell sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.

"The vendor said they were a local flower, one from the Lower Ring. He called them lilies of the gutter." Looking around, I notice clusters of the orange flowers growing in the dampest, darkest spots. And underneath the smell of dirt and garbage, their scent floats through the air. I smile.

We stop at the apartment, which is a small central room, a bedroom, and a washroom, to leave our packs and the lilies. Iroh rushes us down the street to our new workplace, which turns out to be a tea shop.

"Of course you would pick here," I tease as we enter. I blink as my eyes adjust, taking in the shop. Small and dingy, but still clean and neat. The owner is waiting for us by the counter in the back.

"Hello Pao," Iroh says jovially. "Like I said before, this is my nephew, Lee, and our friend, Aiko."

"Welcome to one of Ba Sing Se's finest tea shops!" Pao says cheerfully, although I doubt that his statement is completely true. "Here's an apron for Mushi, and one for Lee, but you…" he turns to me and rubs his chin. "Yes, I think it will fit. Follow me."

"Uh, does this possibly come in a larger size?" Iroh asks, arms askance as he tries to tie his apron.

"I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait!" Pao beckons to me, and I follow him into the kitchen, where he opens a door, revealing a little pantry. Rummaging around, he pulls out a package wrapped in paper. "Try this on, you can use the storeroom to change. I'll bring this string to Mushi." He goes into the front of the shop, and I grab a candle from one of the little shelves placed around the room. I walk into the storeroom and close the door firmly behind me, setting the candle on a shelf. Unwrapping the package, I catch the bundle of cloth as it falls to the ground. Shaking it out, I realize it's a shirt and skirt, both made from dark green cotton. Sighing, I take off my own clothes, and my fans, and shimmy into the skirt. It's loose and falls to my ankles, reminding me of my old warrior uniform. The shirt is a bit trickier. Long-sleeved and skin tight, there's a row of tiny buttons in the back. I manage to do up most of them, but I'm going to need some help on the rest. I walk back out, where Zuko, Iroh, and Pao are patiently waiting.

"Can you do these up?" I ask Zuko. Not waiting for an answer, I turn around and pull my braid out of the way. There's a slight pause, but then I feel him come up behind me, his breath on the back of my neck. Gently, he slips the buttons through the holes. "Thanks," I say, turning back around to face them. "How do I look?" I grin.

"Beautiful," Iroh smiles.

"Professional!" Pao exclaims. The attention in the room shifts to Zuko, who seems to be struggling for words.

"Fine," he spits out. I shrug before adjusting one of the shoulders of my shirt. They just barely cling to the tops of my arms, revealing my shoulders and collarbone.

"It was my daughter's before she got married," Pao explains. "Now, who's ready to work?" he asks, rubbing his hands together. "Mushi and I will make the tea, and Lee and Aiko will take turns serving and washing dishes." Pao and Iroh head back to the kitchen, chatting about different kinds of tea.

"I'm serving," Zuko announces.

"Why you?" I huff, putting my hands on my hips.

"I can't wash dishes."

"What?"

"I never learned."

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Fine, but I'm teaching you how later. It isn't that hard, really." Leaving Zuko to unlock the shop, I head to the back, where there's already a stack of mugs and pots waiting for me, left over from yesterday I guess.

"You have to get water from the well a few blocks down," Pao tells me, handing me two buckets. "Head out the door, take a left, another left, go straight, then a right." I repeat the directions to myself, then nod in affirmation. I walk out the side door and down the alley, avoiding mysterious gray piles of garbage. Taking a left turn onto the main street, I step around people, keeping my head down. I make another left turn at the next intersection, dodging carts pulled by ostrich horses with crazed drivers. A bit longer walk this time, then straight, then a right almost immediately after. I don't see a well, so I keep walking. Then I come to another crossroads.

"Icicles!" I mutter, stamping my foot. What to do now?

"Watch out!" someone shouts as they pull me out of the way of another cart. I stumble back, but their firm grip on my forearms keeps me upright.

"Thanks," I gasp, looking into the face of my rescuer. His very cute face. Bright Earth Kingdom green eyes, shaggy brown hair, freckles, and tanned skin from being out in the sun. I flush. "I'm Aiko," I say, sticking out my hand.

"The name's Zuan. You should watch where yer goin'." He takes my hand firmly, but not too tightly, and shakes.

"Thanks," I say again. "Um, do you know the way to the well? I got lost."

"Yeah, I'll show ya." Sticking his hands in his pockets he takes off at a long-legged amble, and I rush to catch up.

"Yer new in town, aren't ya? I woulda noticed hair like that before," he says casually, glancing at me.

"Oh, um, yes. Kyoshi Island. My dad is a spirit though. So, um, yeah." I hate feeling all tongue tied like this.

"Better not let the Dai Li hear about that."

"Yes, I know, I've heard." We learned about it in training. Kyoshi had also founded the Dai Li to protect the city from spirits, but they had been corrupted, trying to take complete control of Ba Sing Se.

"Well, here we are." I look up at the well in the center of the square, a few people gathered around. I quickly fill the buckets so the woman behind me can have her turn. I carry them over to Zuan, careful not to spill any water. "I don't suppose you could help me find my way back to where I work? Oh spirits, I'm sorry!" I exclaim. "I'm not taking you from your job, am I?"

"Nah, I just do odd jobs and run messages. Nothin' that can't wait," he grins. "Where do ya work?"

"A tea shop owned by a man named Pao," I reply.

"I know the place. C'mon, there's a shortcut." I follow Zuan down a series of alleys, glad for the guidance. "Need any help with those?" he asks, glancing at the buckets of water.

"No, I can take care of myself," I smile. The alleys are growing darker and tighter, and I step closer to Zuan. A man jumps out at us, holding a knife.

"Give me your money and no one gets hurt!" he growls. I carefully place the buckets on the ground, then shove my hands in his direction, freezing his feet to the ground. From there, I grab his wrist and twist, making him drop the knife in pain.

"Tsk, tsk, this knife is dull. You should know better." I turn back to Zuan, who's staring at me in shock. "I did say I can take care of myself."

"That ya did. Now, a few more steps, and we'll be at our destination." He picks up the buckets and walks out of the alley. I follow him, and we pop out in front of the tea shop.

"Thank you for your help."

"No problem, Aiko. I'll come around later."

"I'd like that," I smile before heading inside.

**Tada! Also, no update next week, I'm at camp all this week, so no time to write. Review please!**


End file.
